Kiko Casilla to Real Madrid, where he seeks to replace ‘best goalkeeper in history’

Espanyol have confirmed a deal with Real Madrid for goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, who will look to be the No 1 at Real as a replacement to Iker Casillas.

Kiko Casilla shown during a La Liga match in March with Espanyol. Josep Lago / AFP / March 14, 2015

Espanyol have agreed a deal for goalkeeper Kiko Casilla to join Real Madrid, the Catalan club said on Friday.

Espanyol president Joan Collet announced Casilla’s transfer and said Madrid agreed to pay €6 million (Dh23.9m) for the 28-year-old keeper.

Casilla said he would sign a five-year contract with Madrid, and travel to join his new teammates during their pre-season tour of Australia.

His arrival to Rafa Benitez’s new team will dampen speculation linking Manchester United goalie David de Gea and Real.

Casilla will compete with Keylor Navas for playing time after Iker Casillas left Madrid following 16 seasons to join FC Porto last week.

Casilla said he was prepared to fill the void left by a player he, like many Madrid fans, considered a “legend”.

“For me he is the best goalkeeper in history, but I have been given this opportunity and I want to make the most of it,” Casilla said. “Comparisons will be made. And the pressure won’t be the same, but I am pretty used to it.”

Read more: Andy Mitten's in-depth profile of Kiko Casilla from last November

Casilla played for Madrid’s youth teams before stints with different Spanish clubs. His steady improvement at Espanyol for the past four seasons earned him a debut for Spain when he replaced Casillas in a friendly against Germany in 2014.

Madrid also brought back fellow youth product Lucas Vazquez from Espanyol this summer.

The Barcelona-based club face a major rebuilding project after losing strikers Sergio Garcia and Christian Stuani, besides the forward and goalkeeper now with Madrid.

Collet said he was negotiating with Madrid to get Marco Asensio, a promising youth player, on loan.

Meanwhile the rest of the Real Madrid first team, in Australia, kick off a new era under manager Benitez when the Spanish giants take on Italy’s AS Roma in the International Champions Cup at the Melbourne Criket Ground on Saturday.

Benitez, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu in June, said his focus is on strengthening the side's defence ahead of the La Liga season.

Benitez’s side, in addition to Casilla, have so far made just one other major summer signing – Brazilian right-back Danilo who arrived Porto.

He also will be trying to retain Spanish international centre-back Sergio Ramos. Benitez said club president Florentino Perez’s wish for Ramos to remain in Madrid would prevail.

“I have spoken with him at length in the summer about his ideas and his future and I see Sergio as an integral part of our team,” he said.

“He’s a winner and that’s what we need in our team.”

Benitez is fully aware of the expectation that comes with coaching of the ten-time European champions, who finished runners-up in La Liga last season behind rivals Barcelona.

Real’s directors showed little sentiment by sacking former coach Ancelotti just a season after a drought-breaking Uefa Champions League win.

To the club’s executives, a Club World Cup success, second place in La Liga and making the last four in Europe last season was a sackable offence.

But Benitez, 55, hopes his stint coaching the club where he played as a junior will bring success back to Real.

“I know the city, I know the fans, I know the club ... this is an advantage,” he said.

“What I have to do is more or less every day is the same – to train, to coach, to prepare.

“Hopefully it will be good, we have a good team, the players will do it for me, winning games, and I can just try to enjoy.”

Benitez was not pleased with the state of the MCG pitch ahead of the opening game in the three-team International Champions Cup, also featuring English giants Manchester City.

“I have to say, the pitch was not the best,” he said.

“We have to be aware of that, we have an important game, important players so hopefully they can do their best for the game.”

The MCG has been hit by a solid week of rain after 15 rounds of the Australian Football League season.

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