Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Yassine Bounou revealed the reason behind the failure of his transfer to Spanish club Real Madrid, which was interested in acquiring his services to replace the injured Belgian Thibaut Courtois. Bounou stated in an interview with the Spanish radio station "El Pelotazo": "Last December (after the 2022 World Cup), there were offers, but I didn't feel that it was the right time to leave." He added, "Neither I nor Youssef En-Nesyri, who could have left, felt that we could go." He further explained: "At Real Madrid, I was the first choice, but the Africa Cup of Nations complicated everything."
Bounou clarified that "Real Madrid stipulated that I would not participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, which is set to take place next January, a demand that complicated matters and led to the collapse of the deal." He discussed his departure from Sevilla, saying: "I felt that it was time to leave Sevilla. I gave everything to the club, and inside, I no longer had the same energy, so I decided to leave and pursue another experience."
The Moroccan goalkeeper joined Saudi club Al-Hilal with a three-year contract after coming from Sevilla, and before that, he was on Real Madrid’s radar to replace the injured Thibaut Courtois due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
