Ex-Barcelona director admits they passed on opportunity to sign Real Madrid icon for just €3 million | OneFootball

Real Madrid know perfectly well that some opportunities simply fall into place for a reason, and the story of Thibaut Courtois is one of those moments where fate clearly worked in Los Blancos’ favour. 

Former Barcelona director Javier Bordas has now revealed that the Catalan club once had the chance to secure the Belgian goalkeeper long before he became a Madrid icon, and still failed to act. 

It is a misstep that ultimately strengthened Real Madrid and left Barcelona wondering what might have been.

What really happened?

During his time as a Barça executive, Bordas explored the possibility of signing Courtois for jusy €3 million. 

Barcelona’s scouts had reportedly delivered strong assessments, yet hesitation inside the club meant the operation never moved forward.

Recalling the moment he presented the idea to the Barça hierarchy, Bordas explained,

“I proposed it to Sandro Rosell and he said, ‘Well, see if it can be done…’. Then, when he took it to the Technical Secretariat, they stopped us,” he revealed in an interview with SPORT.

Courtois could have joined Barcelona instead. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Bordas went on to emphasise that the interest was genuine and well-supported internally. 

He added more context about the positive internal feedback Courtois received, saying, “There were good reports on Courtois at the Barça offices.

“He knew the league, and some executives thought it would be a good idea to sign him even though they already had Ter Stegen lined up,” he said.

Gift to Real Madrid

However, the internal structure at Barcelona ultimately decided against the move. At that time, Andoni Zubizarreta had already committed to signing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Claudio Bravo was also brought in. 

Bordas detailed how the process worked, explaining, “My case was a bit atypical. 

“I make the proposal, but then the financial and technical aspects come into play. In the end, they decided whether it could be done or not.”

That hesitation opened the door for Chelsea, who moved quickly and signed Courtois for around €9 million. 

From there, his career trajectory brought him to the Santiago Bernabeu, where he transformed into one of the most dominant goalkeepers in world football.