Keylor Navas is the subject of a shock transfer rumour linking the goalkeeper with a January move to Nottingham Forest - but who is he?
Considered one of the best netminders of the last decade, he began his career with Deportivo Saprissa in his native Costa Rica, making his professional debut at the age of 18 in 2005. After five years he made the move to Europe, joining lowly Spanish outfit Albacete.
Navas moved on to Levante after a couple of years, but he didn't make his name until the 2014 World Cup. Costa Rica shocked everyone by qualifying from that tournament's Group of Death, featuring England, Italy and Uruguay, before reaching the quarter-finals.
A crucial save in the penalty shootout of the last-16 meeting with Greece earned him hero status. Although he could not repeat his heroics in the quarter-final shootout against the Netherlands, he ended the World Cup with three clean sheets from five matches. He also become the only goalkeeper to win three man of the match awards in a single World Cup.
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Those performances in Brazil earned him the transfer of a lifetime to Real Madrid, who triggered his release clause of just €10 million. He had to wait for his opportunity though, as Iker Casillas was still the number one at the Bernabeu.
The Spaniard departed the following summer, handing Navas the gloves for the 2015/16 campaign. In a stunning turn of events, however, he was nearly transferred to Manchester United as part of a swap deal for David De Gea. Luckily for him the deadline day move was scuppered by a faulty fax machine.
Navas went on to achieve incredible success with Real over the coming years, winning the Uefa Champions League three times, as well one La Liga title and multiple Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup successes. Remarkably, Real never lost a knockout tie in the Champions League while he was the first-choice goalkeeper.
It was surprising, then, that the club moved to replace him with Thibaut Courtois, who moved to the Spanish capital from Chelsea in 2018. Even though then-manager Zinedine Zidane said he "can't contemplate him leaving,” the following year Navas joined Paris Saint-Germain, with whom he reached yet another Champions League final in 2020, but lost on that occasion to Bayern Munich.
Mauricio Pochettino, who managed the French club between 2021 and 2022, said of Navas: "It is clear that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, it is a true honour to work with him." But just like Real before, PSG sought to replace him, signing Gianluigi Donnarumma on a free transfer from AC Milan.
Navas is yet to make an appearance in Ligue 1 this season, which opens the door to a potential exit. Nottingham Forest offers him the possibility of regular gametime in the Premier League, an arena he is yet to challenge himself in.
Although he is not the tallest goalkeeper, Navas is tremendously agile, speed and possesses superb reflexes. He's a bit slower these days, but his brilliant football intelligence has never faded. His signing would be a massive coup for Forest - and a huge boost in their bid to survive the drop.
Is Keylor Navas a realistic transfer target? Have your say in the comments section!
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