1 and a team leader is not under threat and his importance to the team is explicit. Navas is set to star for Costa Rica this summer at the World Cup, and we might get another look at the shot-stopper in his purest form, where his position as the No. But if they do spend a big wad of cash on upgrading the position, they'll be throwing their money down the toilet, because Navas is as good as it gets. It might be De Gea or Courtois, or Gianluigi Donnarumma. Madrid will most likely be linked with a goalkeeper this summer. "I never told them not to sign a keeper," he said as he welcomed the potential addition and the chance to prove himself again. Real Madrid were very close to signing Kepa Arrizabalaga in January, but Zinedine Zidane preferred to stick with Navas, and the 31-year-old himself didn't demand any assurances. He might be outside of the world's top three or even five goalkeepers, but it's more because of the noise around him than anything he is doing wrong. If excellence is what you do 99 percent of the time, Keylor Navas is excellence personified. On the contrary, it proves his excellence, his professionalism and his ability to keep his fists up and remain in the fight even when the whole world is crumbling around him. The mistake against Juventus might be thrown around as a reason why Navas will never be mentioned among the very best. It was a look as if to say, "so, you have superhuman powers, too." They might not be at Messi levels yet, but they are certainly elite. Lionel Messi was rejected by Navas on so many occasions in the most recent Clasico that at one stage, just after Navas had reached out with his left hand to deny the Argentine from a razor-sharp angle at his near post, Messi looked up and smiled at the Costa Rican. Being competent is not enough he has to convince over and over again. With his performances under the most powerful of microscopes every week, his job is not just to do his job but to do it with style. The constant idea being pushed that Navas is not worth his salt and is just holding the jersey for its eventual and rightful owner is one of the greatest follies around. There are links every week with David De Gea, Thibaut Courtois or whatever world-class goalkeeper is ruminating over a new contract with his club. Real Madrid are seeming in constant search of a goalkeeper to take their No. With his position constantly under threat, the shot-stopper also keeps answering critics, of which there are plenty. Navas is also asked to build the attack from the back with his passing, something that might come naturally to someone like Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but Navas has warmed to the new feature in his game and continues to develop his skills and whatever is required of him. Jesus Vallejo admitted after the Sevilla capitulation recently that "playing for Real Madrid, you are always a little bit more exposed, because we play with such a high line." Their games are frantic they play a high defensive line, and while it's fun to watch for the neutral, as the team's goalkeeper, it must be frightening. Their opponents, too, don't know what to expect, because to take them too seriously and sit back is to miss the point that it's futile, and to not take them seriously enough is a prelude to an attack. The way Real Madrid keep you entertained is new to even this group, and their ability to fight when all hope seems lost is becoming the stuff of legend. "We won't drop our hands," is another regular refrain from Navas. It's more a belief in his own willingness to keep fighting and keep focused regardless of how heavily the odds are stacked against him. It's not so much a faith in his abilities. But the kind of faith that is more important to his profession, at least, is the faith he has in himself. The Costa Rican always answers first with some rendition of thanking God for the good fortune to be standing where he is. The leading one might be about his hair, or the latest goalkeeper linked with Real Madrid, or his latest save, or his latest blunder. This becomes patently clear every time he answers questions after a game. Real Madrid's Keylor Navas world-class in his own right despite his critics You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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