Reports: Real Madrid legend has signed pre-contract with Liverpool

What’s the story?

As per reputed Spanish daily AS, current FC Porto goalkeeper and Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas has signed a pre-contract with Liverpool as talks advance between the veteran Spanish custodian and the English side.

In case you didn’t know...

After a rather acrimonious exit from Real Madrid, where he started as a schoolboy, Casillas – known affectionately as Saint Iker by fans across Iberia – has come to an end to his two-year stint with Portuguese giants, FC Porto.

This season, despite not winning the league title (they lost out to eternal rivals Benfica), Casillas has been in fine form – conceding just 23 goals in 43 games and keeping a career-high 23 clean sheets with some displays taking everyone back down memory lane to the time when he was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.

The heart of the matter

With his great friend, and three-year-senior, Gianluigi Buffon still going strong at Juventus (and Italy, for that matter), Casillas will be keen to show that he isn’t a spent force and can do it at the highest level still. A major attraction the Anfield outfit offer is continued Champions League football – giving him a chance to extend his record 175 appearances in the world's premier club competition.

With Liverpool’s squad in real need of strengthening ahead of their return to the Champions League, and the goalkeeper position still not a sorted issue, Casillas would be the perfect short-term solution and could act as a mentor to both Simon Mignolet and the exciting talent that is Loris Karius.

While many might feel that plumping for a 36-year old is unwise, age is no barrier to being a great keeper and Iker Casillas is certainly one of those.

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For anyone who doubts that he still has it, check this out:

Author’s Take

Yes, it’s a gamble – but even as a second-choice keeper to the ever-improving Simon Mignolet (highly unlikely), Casillas could be one of the shrewdest signings this summer. His hunger for glory allied with his undoubted class will act as a much needed balm for nerves that tend to fray far too easily in the Liverpool camp.

Ever the hard worker and example-setter on the training field, he will fit into Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy perfectly and can quite easily act as the experienced anchor around which Liverpool can mount what could be a truly historic season in 2017-18. In fact, his experience could prove vital as the toll of competing in four different tournaments across the season takes ahold of the Reds.

Iker Casillas, Liverpool, and the Kop could just be a match made in heaven.