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With just five games to go in LaLiga 2022/23, many Sorare managers will be in the process of shopping for a goalkeeper for next season. With a shorter than normal summer break of just ten weeks, the new campaign will come around relatively quickly and the coming weeks may provide the best opportunity to pick up keepers at a good price. Below we’ll take a look at all the LaLiga goalkeepers from top to bottom.
For each club, we have info on each keeper, how much game-time they’ve had in 2022/23, what their contract situation is and what 2023/24 may hold in store. In each case, you can simply click the players’ name to go directly to their Sorare page and see the latest market prices.
Goalkeepers in LaLiga – This Season & a look ahead to 2023/24
Barcelona
We’ve witnessed a goalkeeping masterclass from Marc-André ter Stegen who is on course to smash records with just 11 goals conceded in 33 matches so far. With Barcelona winning 13 matches this season in all competition by 1-0 margins, the German has routinely produced vital saves and it’s safe to say the Catalans would not be cruising towards the title were it not for his continued excellence.
The back-up keepers have barely got a look-in with both Peña and Tenas warming the bench in LaLiga. The only Barça competitive matches this term not to feature Ter Stegen, saw Peña start twice in the early rounds of the Copa del Rey and once in the Champions League, suggesting he is ahead of Tenas in the pecking order.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Marc-André ter Stegen will surely start in LaLiga and in the Champions League again unless anything unexpected happens this summer (a large bid from abroad is the only thing that could potentially derail that with Barcelona’s financial situation still delicate).
There are mixed reports over Iñaki Peña’s future with the 24 year old reportedly attracting interest from Turkey and elsewhere in Spain, although he may be content with another year as back-up to Ter Stegen. Barcelona still haven’t exercised the option of a two-year extension for Tenas who has got game-time for the B team who are on course for a play-off place in the third tier which would give them a shot at promotion to the Segunda Division (covered on Sorare).
Atletico Madrid
After a very shaky 2021/22 campaign by his usually exceptionally high standards, Jan Oblak has been much more assured this time around. The Slovenian is on course to pass 30 LaLiga starts for the 8th season in a row, although injuries have hampered him in recent weeks.
That has presented opportunities to the competent Ivo Grbic who has kept goal in Atleti’s last three matches, all of which ended in wins with Los Rojiblancos rising to 2nd place in LaLiga.
What will happen in 2023/24?: With Diego Simeone set to stay for another season, there appears to be little doubt that Jan Oblak will continue in goal at the Civitas Metropolitano next term as the starter in LaLiga and the Champions League.
Recent game-time may help convince Grbic to see out his contract in Madrid, although he’s likely to be open to a move should the opportunity to play regular first team football arise.
Real Madrid
Arguably the very best goalkeeper in the world, Thibaut Courtois has shown plenty more evidence of his quality this season and remains locked in as Real Madrid number one for the foreseeable future.
Injuries to Courtois have ensured Andriy Lunin has got game-time this term with 7 LaLiga and 2 Champions League starts. He enjoyed a decent run in the autumn, but his most recent appearance saw him save just one of five attempts on target in the 4-2 loss at Girona. Luis López has been the third choice goalkeeper for Los Blancos, frequently warming the bench.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Courtois will continue as number one in LaLiga and the Champions League. Lunin is reportedly keen to leave this summer in search of regular football which would most likely see Real Madrid look for a new back-up keeper in the transfer market.
Luis Lopez is out of contract with his future unclear, although Real Madrid’s B team are also in contention for promotion to the Segunda. That could provide potential for more meaningful minutes next term for the 22 year old, although it is 20 year old Mario de Luis who has been keeping goal for Castilla this term in the Primera Federacion and earning positive reviews.
Real Sociedad
Having comfortably shaken off competition from Mat Ryan in 2021/22, Alex Remiro has been a rock for Real Sociedad this season, starting every game in LaLiga and all 8 of their Europa League matches.
After playing second tier football with Real Sociedad B in 2021/22, Andoni Zubiaurre has been the back-up keeper to Remiro this term. However his involvement has been limited to just one start in the Copa del Rey.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Remiro is locked in as La Real’s number one and looks set to get his first taste of Champions League football next term.
Zubiaurre was reportedly very close to joining Huesca last summer and may be open to a move. The prospect of being part of Real Sociedad’s likely Champions League adventure could tempt him to stick around until the end of his contract though, unless a clear shot at first team football arises.
Villarreal
The departure of number one Gerónimo Rulli to Ajax in January somewhat surprisingly did not lead to Villarreal signing an immediate replacement. Instead 40 year old Pepe Reina has taken over in goal for the Yellow Submarine and has at times started to look his age while youngster Filip Jörgensen has also seen action in the Conference League and on one occasion LaLiga.
Villarreal are also the only club with a B team in the 2022/23 Segunda Division with Iker Alvarez starting 22 games and Jörgensen 11. Despite a serious dip in form, Villarreal B all but secured safety at the weekend with a 2-0 win over Sporting Gijon, with Alvarez starting again.
What will happen in 2023/24?: A new starting goalkeeper is likely to be a top priority for Villarreal this summer. Croatian international Dominik Livaković is believed to be their top target. Reina is out of contract but could still potentially continue as back-up next season.
The continued presence of Villarreal B in the second tier should make it easy to ensure youngsters Jörgensen and Álvarez continue to get meaningful game-time.
Real Betis
After the constant rotation in 2021/22, there has been a little bit more continuity in 2022/23 with Rui Silva the number one at Betis in LaLiga, although he has still been benched on six occasions, including for the most recent match – a key 1-0 win in Bilbao.
Claudio Bravo started that game, as well as 6 of the 8 Europa League games this season with Manuel Pellegrini keen to give both men starts. Third choice Dani Martin hasn’t seen any minutes, having been Malaga’s first choice keeper throughout most of the 2021/22 season in the Segunda Division.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Pellegrini has been a long-term admirer of Bravo and is believed to be keen for him to stay another season. The latest reports in Seville suggest he will get a new contract.
Rui Silva has longer to run on his deal and is likely to be the main goalkeeper for Los Verdiblancos again in 2023/24.
Girona
Girona started LaLiga 2023/24 with only one senior goalkeeper and left it late to add another with Paulo Gazzaniga arriving on loan from Fulham on September 1st.
Michel initially kept faith with veteran keeper Juan Carlos, Girona’s number one in the promotion winning 2021/22 campaign, but Gazzaniga has held the jersey since taking over for the draw against Osasuna back in October. He has performed pretty well behind a somewhat shaky defence with a PSxG-GA (post shot xG – goals allowed) of +6.4, the second best in LaLiga behind Ter Stegen, indicating an above average ability to save shots.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Girona are believed to be happy with Gazzaniga who is out of contract at parent club Fulham this summer and it’s likely he will sign for the Catalans on a free transfer.
However with European football now a distinct possibility, Girona may look to sign another keeper to offer stronger competition than Juan Carlos currently provides with the 35 year old potentially looking at the exit door.
Athletic Club
Athletic are in a very strong position in the goalkeeping department with Unai Simon continuing to be their number one under Ernesto Valverde. The 25 year old was also Spain’s first choice at the 2022 World Cup, but may have to fight for his place now with La Roja now under new management.
22 year old Julen Agirrezabala is a bright prospect though and Valverde has trusted him with 13 starts in all competitions this season, including 7 in Athletic’s run to the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Athletic are fighting for European qualification and a place in the Conference or Europa Leagues should make it easy for them to give minutes to both Simon and Agirrezabala next season, with the former almost certainly continuing as the primary keeper in LaLiga.
There may well come a point though when Athletic decide to cash in on one of their two keepers as keeping both happy will become increasingly difficult in the long-term.
Are we there yet? Perhaps, not quite. The Basques may not be ready to go all-in on Agirrezabala while Simon recently reaffirmed his desire to stay in Bilbao. With both players under contract until June 2025, this feels more like a situation that will need to be resolved next summer, unless a huge offer comes in over the coming months with Manchester United among those to have been linked with Simon.
Rayo Vallecano
Despite the arrival of veteran keeper Diego Lopez from Espanyol, Stole Dimitrievski has continued to hold his position in goal for Rayo. While rarely in the conversation when it comes to talk of the best LaLiga goalkeepers, the Macedonian has done a solid job in another successful season for the Madrid club.
Diego Lopez, Espanyol’s number one last term, has been restricted to three Copa del Rey starts and just the one appearance in LaLiga with Miguel Morro the clear third choice.
What will happen in 2023/24?: It’s likely to be a summer of change in Vallecas with some key players departing and highly rated young coach Andoni Iraola expected to follow them out the door.
That leaves the goalkeeping situation up in the air and dependent on who comes in, assuming Iraola does move on. Whoever that man is, they’ll surely still be keen for Dimitrievski to continue as first choice but the 29 year old may be open to moving on to a bigger or at least better-paying club, having reportedly agreed to join Barcelona last year before the move collapsed.
Diego Lopez is also likely to leave. Retirement is clearly a distinct possibility at his age, but not a certainty at this point.
Osasuna
Sergio Herrera started the season as the clear first choice in Pamplona, albeit with a more experienced competitor in the shape-up of new signing Aitor Fernandez. An injury to Herrera granted Aitor his chance just before the World Cup and Osasuna won their first three games with the former Levante keeper in goal, conceding just once.
That was enough for Aitor to effectively take over as Osasuna number one in LaLiga in 2023 and he has showcased a much higher level than we saw from him during the end of his time at Levante. Jagoba Arrasate’s side also enjoyed a successful run to the Copa del Rey Final which has made it easy for him to give game-time to Herrera, who started all the cup games and has also at times rotated into the league XI.
What will happen in 2023/24?: The cup run made it quite easy for Arrasate to keep both keepers happy and it’s possible we’ll see further rotation over the remainder of LaLiga 2022/23.
He’ll have quite a big decision to make when matchday one of LaLiga 2023/24 rolls around though. Assuming there are no departures (and everything indicates both men are happy at El Sadar with their relationship said to be very good), Aitor Fernandez and Sergio Herrera will be fighting for one place again.
It’s a tough one to call, but for now we can only assume that Aitor is slightly ahead given he has started the vast majority of league games since breaking into the team in October.
Sevilla
There is also competition for the starting role at Sevilla in what has been a rollercoaster season with Julen Lopetegui and Jorge Sampaoli departing as the Andalusians battled relegation before a remarkable resurgence under José Luis Mendilibar.
Bono was the long-serving and fairly clear number one, but Mendilibar has placed his faith in Dmitrović with the Serb, who he knew well from his time at Eibar, starting all seven LaLiga matches since the change. Sevilla have won five of those games to catapult themselves up the table. Bono meanwhile hasn’t played in LaLiga since March, but did start both legs of the Europa League Quarter-Final win over Manchester United.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Unless Sevilla win the Europa League (and qualify for the Champions League), they are unlikely to have European football next term which may bring the need to cut costs this summer and let players leave. Having lost his starting role, Bono is already reportedly keen to move on.
Assuming Mendilibar stays (his contract is only until the end of the season but an extension seems probable), it’s likely Dmitrović will continue in goal for Sevilla next term with a new, more budget friendly keeper perhaps coming in as back-up.
Mallorca
Mallorca struggled badly in the goalkeeper department last season but made a really smart addition last summer with the €2m purchase of Predrag Rajkovic, one of the signings of the season in LaLiga. The Serbian shot stopper has started every game in the league, conceding just 37 times in 33 matches.
Dominik Greif and Leo Roman have both warmed the bench throughout the campaign and have only featured in the Copa del Rey with Greif getting 3 starts and Roman 1 in that competition.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Everything points to Predrag Rajkovic continuing for another season in Palma as the clear number one, unless a big offer comes in.
Dominik Greif and Leo Roman both have three more years to run on their respective contracts though and with no opportunities for league minutes for either this term, it’s almost certain at least one will leave. Mallorca still view Roman as a big prospect for the future so may look to loan him out, but it’s doubtful whether Greif would be happy with another season warming the bench.
Celta Vigo
Although not always convincing, summer signing Agustin Marchesin was Celta’s first choice keeper until a torn Achilles suffered in training in early February ruled him out for the season.
That presented Ivan Villar with an unexpected opportunity to rekindle his Celta career and the 25 year old has started every game since. Veteran Brazilian keeper Diego Alves was briefly added on a free transfer following Marchesin’s injury but has since been released without playing a game.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Marchesin’s injury is likely to rule him out of the opening couple of months of next season too. The 35 year old is far from guaranteed to regain his place when he gets fit.
Ivan Villar stands a chance of holding onto the jersey, but looks set to face serious competition from Ruben Blanco who will return from a loan spell at Marseille where he has started 5 times in Ligue 1.
Almeria
Fernando Pacheco was widely expected to be the starting goalkeeper at Almeria when he signed for the newly promoted club last summer. However a combination of clashes with the board and the strong form of Fernando Martinez saw him leave to join Espanyol without starting a league game in January.
Fernando Martinez has continued to be the preferred option for Rubi, starting all but one of Almeria’s LaLiga matches on their return to the top flight. Diego Mariño, signed from Sporting Gijon in January, is the back-up option.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Almeria are one of several teams involved in the relegation battle. Should they go down, the current goalkeeping options would surely suffice for another crack at promotion with Fernando having also started all but one of their league games in the successful 2021/22 Segunda Division season.
Stay up and you have to wonder whether Almeria’s wealthy Saudi owner may fund a move for a bigger name goalkeeper to at least compete for a starting role. Defensive improvements will certainly be a priority with them having the second worst defensive record in LaLiga at the time of writing.
Cadiz
Conan Ledesma started every game in LaLiga 2021/22 and was on course to do likewise this term as Cadiz’s undisputed number one until he received a four game ban following altercations after a bad-tempered clash with Getafe in March.
That finally gave the patient David Gil some game-time and he didn’t let his side down during Ledesma’s absence, but it wasn’t enough to keep his place with the Argentine keeper immediately returning to the eleven on the completion of his ban.
What will happen in 2023/24?: With both goalkeepers under contract until June 2025, we will most likely see the same again should Cadiz successfully beat relegation this season with Gil acting as Ledesma’s deputy.
In the event of relegation, Ledesma’s future would come under serious doubt. He is perhaps Cadiz’s most valuable player and the club would be unlikely to turn down serious offers for the services of a player that has shown he belongs at this level.
Real Valladolid
Following promotion in 2022, Real Valladolid extended Jordi Masip’s contract while also bringing Sergio Asenjo back to the club, 13 years after his initial departure to join Atletico Madrid as a bright young keeper.
It hasn’t quite been the happy homecoming Asenjo would have hoped for. He started the season but some early errors and an injury offered Masip his chance and the Real Valladolid captain has started 70% of the league games. He’s had a mostly strong season behind a weak defence, but costly errors against Valencia and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks have soured that a bit.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Both keepers still have a year to run on their current deals and we may well simply see the duo competing for the starting role again next term. As it stands, it’s Masip’s position to lose, but Asenjo has had the better career overall and could compete.
Survival would raise the possibility of recently appointed boss Paulo Pezzolano looking for a fresh option in goal, but with funds usually tight at the Jose Zorrilla, it may be summer 2024 before we see a younger, longer-term option brought in.
Valencia
One of the few bright lights for Valencia over the past couple of years, Giorgi Mamardashvili has emerged as the brightest young goalkeeper in Spanish football with the 22 year old starting every game in LaLiga this term.
Back-up Jaume Domenech suffered an ACL injury in September, but he was back on the bench for last week’s draw against Villarreal. Experienced Iago Herrerin was signed as cover for Jaume but hasn’t been needed.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Despite their size and stature as one of Spanish football’s biggest clubs, there is a real possibility that Valencia will be relegated to the Segunda Division in a few weeks’ time. That would almost certainly lead to the sale of €25m rated Giorgi Mamardashvili and even if Los Che survive, the Georgian may well leave anyway given the Premier League interest that exists (according to Fabrizio Romano) and the tendency of Valencia’s owners to attempt to cash in on their most valuable assets.
It’s unlikely Jaume Domenech would be trusted as the starting goalkeeper, certainly not in the Primera, so we can expect Valencia to sign a replacement for Mamardashvili should he depart.
Getafe
As has been the case for close to five years now, David Soria is Getafe’s undisputed number one and the 30 year old has had another solid season despite his team’s struggles. Getafe sit in the relegation zone with five games to play but have just reappointed Jose Bordalas to oversee the end of their campaign.
Kiko Casilla and Diego Conde have warmed the bench all season without seeing minutes in LaLiga. Casilla did at least get some action in the early rounds of the Copa del Rey.
What will happen in 2023/24?: *David Soria’s contract is officially up this summer, although it has been reported that an agreement is already in place to keep him at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez until 2026. That would make it much harder for potential buyers to capture his signature with previous talk of a free transfer to the Premier League or perhaps former club Sevilla, seemingly impossible now. Relegation would still seriously test Getafe’s resolve to keep the 30 year old though.
As it stands, it’s unclear not only what division Getafe will be in, but who the coach will be with Bordalas currently only on a short-term deal. That makes it hard to speculate on the futures of Kiko Casilla or Diego Conde.
Espanyol
It has been something of a goalkeeping disaster-class at Espanyol this season and that’s a major reason why they are strong favourites to join Elche in dropping down into the Segunda Division. Having let long-serving number one Diego Lopez leave, the Catalan club signed Benjamin Lecomte and Alvaro Fernandez on loan last summer. Both made high profile, costly errors in the opening months of the season, promting a January rethink.
Lecomte’s loan was terminated after just 10 league starts and Alvaro Fernandez hasn’t featured since February. Fernando Pacheco, signed on a permanent deal from Almeria in January, has become the undisputed starter.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Alvaro Fernández is due to return to Huesca after the completion of his difficult loan spell with Espanyol unlikely to take up the option to buy him for €3m (almost certainly not in the case of relegation). He still has one year to run on his deal at second tier Huesca.
Fernando Pacheco has also had a complicated year, leaving relegated Alaves last summer in search of top flight football at Almeria, only not to find it and move again to Espanyol in January. While he’s certainly a capable keeper at this level, it’s questionable whether he’d want to move clubs again for the third window running in the event of relegation, having established himself as number one at the RCDE Stadium. It seems probable that he may stick around for a crack at promotion from the second tier with promising youngster Joan Garcia perhaps stepping up to be the back-up.
Elche
Elche have already been relegated after a catastrophic season that has seen them win just 3 games, conceding 64 times in 33 matches. Little of that blame can be apportioned to first choice keeper Edgar Badia though and he actually ranks as the third best shot stopper in LaLiga this term according to PSxG-GA (post shot xG – goals allowed) which highlights just how bad Elche’s defence has been.
Axel Werner has been the back-up keeper and has made two starts in recent weeks with Badia absent for personal reasons.
What will happen in 2023/24?: Edgar Badia spoke last month of his happiness at Elche and willingness to play in the Segunda Division which suggests he will be the number one again next term.
Axel Werner’s future is more uncertain with options likely to arise for him to return to his native Argentina or stay in Spain, if Elche don’t offer him a new deal.
This info is accurate as of 9th May 2023 but may change as the summer transfer window takes shape. Get in touch via @sorarelaliga if you have questions or doubts. If you’re new to Sorare, you may also want to check out our Getting Started Guide.
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