Real Madrid's 10 best signings of the decade (2010-2019)

#9 Keylor Navas

Keylor Navas won three Champions Leagues with Real before departing

After a successful season at Levante in 2013-14, Real Madrid paid €10m to trigger the buyout clause of Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but initially, he was used as a backup to first-choice keeper Iker Casillas.

By the summer of 2015, it was expected that Navas would leave the Bernabeu as a makeweight in a deal for Manchester United’s David De Gea – but when that move collapsed, the Costa Rican was installed as Real’s #1 instead.

It turned out to be an excellent move indeed. Navas had a fantastic season in 2015-16, keeping 9 clean sheets in the Champions League as Real won La Decima, and in 2016-17 he continued his impressive form, helping Los Blancos to win a La Liga and Champions League double.

2017-18 saw his stock rise once again; he was named the Champions League’s Goalkeeper of the Season as he helped Real to a third successive victory in the tournament, and made 8 saves during a semi-final second leg win over Bayern Munich, his highest ever total in a European knockout game.

Navas has since departed for Paris St. Germain after the signing of Thibaut Courtois, but it’s not a stretch to claim he was Real’s best goalkeeper during the decade.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Zaid Khan