The most respected football voice in Ukraine is Andriy Shevchenko, along with football great Igor Belanov.
In a recent interview with WinWin, former forward Belanov—who previously played for teams like Dynamo Kyiv and Borussia Monchengladbach—notably supported Real Madrid star Andriy Lunin’s decision to leave the team.
Belanov on the future of Lunin
Despite Lunin’s outstanding 2023–24 season, Belanov noted that Thibaut Courtois will once again take the top spot for Real Madrid, dropping Lunin to the bench.
“I disagree that Andriy Lunin will start behind Courtois on the bench the following season. Lunin is not in a rush to extend his contract, which expires in 2025, according to Belanov (via Diario AS).
The legendary Ukrainian continued by pointing out that Lunin might have a chance to draw elite teams from throughout Europe at the forthcoming European Championship.
“He knows that scouts from several major teams across the world will be monitoring him, so it’s imperative that he shows well at the Euro. If Lunin performs well, Real Madrid will probably receive a lot of bids from elite teams and consider releasing Lunin, he stated.
He continued, “Andriy will want to leave because he is not happy with the prospect of being the eternal number two and because there is no guarantee that he will play consistently from Madrid.”
It should be mentioned that Lunin has already been connected to several elite teams in Europe, including Arsenal, who are rumored to be considering a €25 million transfer for the goalie.
Belanov recommends a Bayern Munich transfer
One of the interview’s highlights was when Belanov pushed Lunin to finalize his summer transfer to Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich.
“Manuel Neuer needs to be replaced at Bayern Munich, and the press has already reported on their interest,” he stated.
In fact, Bayern is searching for a new goalie to take the role of the departed Manuel Neuer in the future.
Lunin might become an attractive target for the Bavarians, who are preparing for significant changes under new coach Vincent Kompany, given his modest budget.