Tabloid reports onlyBroke 1d ago · Updated 7h ago

Bart Verbruggen to Real Madrid

Brighton

Real Madrid

Goalkeeper · 24y · Netherlands · contract until 2028

Chance it happens in January

No trusted reporter yet. Stories like this complete 6 in 100 times.

Carried by @benfeerr via Transfer News Live (aggregator), Fichajes.net via Transfer News Central (aggregator) and Football Insider via Transfer News Live (tabloid).

Fee: Not reported
Valuehow: €47m
Reporters: 1

Where he ends up in the January windowEvery outcome by the January deadline, adding up to 100%. A move in a later window is not counted.

Real MadridThis rumour
Other clubNot yet named
Stays at BrightonNo move

What the number is based on

ReportingNo trusted reporter3 outlets, all tabloids or aggregatorsAgainst the move
ContractRuns to June 20281 year 8 months left
Real MadridRoom to spendMoves from Premier League to La Liga are rareFor the move
FeeNot reportedValue €47m

The story so far

3 reports · newest first

Tuesday
Football InsiderTrust 46via Transfer News LiveFull post
“🚨 Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is open to joining Real Madrid, who view him as Thibaut Courtois' successor. The 24-year-old Dutch international has kept six clean sheets in nine Premier League appearances this season.”
Monday
Fichajes.netTrust 45via Transfer News CentralReport
“Real Madrid are eyeing Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as a future replacement for Thibaut Courtois.”
benfeerrTrust 46Earliest mentionEarliest mentionvia Transfer News LiveFull post
“🚨 Real Madrid are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as a potential long-term successor to Thibaut Courtois. The 24-year-old Dutch international is valued at around €40M and remains under contract with Brighton until 2028.”

Chance it happens in January

Long shot

Value: €47m

AuthorTransfer Tracker AnalystLast updated3 Nov 2026StatusUp to date

Real Madrid linked with Verbruggen as Courtois successor

The situation

Real Madrid are being linked with Bart Verbruggen as a long-term successor to Thibaut Courtois, with the Brighton goalkeeper reportedly open to the move. Nothing here amounts to talks or an approach. The story rests on the idea that Madrid are monitoring the 24-year-old Dutchman, who has kept six clean sheets in nine Premier League games this season, rather than any sign of contact between the clubs. No window is open for La Liga today; the next chance for Madrid to act is January 2027, which opens on 1 January and closes on 2 February.

The reporting

The sourcing here is thin. Transfer News Live relayed a line from Football Insider and from @benfeerr, while Transfer News Central carried a similar claim from Fichajes.net. None of these outlets has a strong track record and none should be read as reliable. @benfeerr's report was relayed by Transfer News Live on 2 November, and that appears to be where this story started. No established reporter has backed any of it.

The outlook

Call this a long shot. Verbruggen has 18 months left on his Brighton contract when the January window opens, running to 30 June 2028, so Brighton hold all the leverage and have no obvious reason to sell their first-choice goalkeeper midway through a season. He is valued at €47m, a serious number for a goalkeeper, and there is no indication Madrid have made any move to meet it.

The context

Verbruggen's only senior transfer so far was his own €20m switch from Anderlecht to Brighton in 2023. For context on Madrid's usual spending at this level, they paid €48m for Ferland Mendy in 2019, €48m for Endrick in 2024, and €45m for Franco Mastantuono in 2025, so a fee near Verbruggen's €47m valuation would sit comfortably within their normal range if they ever moved.

What to watch

Watch for any sign of direct contact between the clubs once January opens, or a shift in Courtois' own situation at Madrid. Without either, this stays speculation built on tabloid reports.

Sources the analyst weighed