Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has hinted that he will sell goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois this summer.
The Belgian landed his dream move to the Spanish capital last summer, but it has fast turned into a nightmare.
Courtois cost Los Blancos £40million when joining from Chelsea in August.
However, the ex-Blues stopper only moved to the Santiago Bernabeu after Zidane had walked away from the club following his third successive Champions League triumph.
The Frenchman vetoed Courtois’ arrival during his initial reign at the club, despite president Florentino Perez having repeatedly pushed to land Courtois.
Zinedine Zidane defends picking son Luca in Real Madrid's win over Huesca
But during a season in which both Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari were sacked, Courtois has come under fire, in a campaign which ranks as Madrid’s worst in almost a decade.
Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey, La Liga title race and Champions League prior to Zidane’s return and he has made Keylor Navas - the keeper to whom he remained loyal during his first spell - Madrid’s undisputed No.1 again.
At the weekend, with Navas rested after international duty with Costa Rica, Zidane’s son, Luca, started in the 3-2 win over Huesca.
Reports Courtois had been dropped were premature, with the 26-year-old in fact missing out due to an injury that he had been carrying while on Belgium duty.
But Zidane, speaking on Tuesday morning, has dropped the clearest hint yet that he will part company with Courtois when the transfer window opens.
“I assure you that next year there will be no debate about the goalkeeper,” said Zidane.
"Whether I will play with a regular goalkeeper next year? That depends on the keepers that I will have in my squad. At the moment I have three good ones.
"But there will be certainly no debate, I tell you that now. It's going to be pretty clear.”
Expanding on potential summer departures, Zidane insisted decisions are already being made - but remained coy on exact details.
"I am speaking to the club, I have told the club what we want to do,” he continued. "We are already doing that. At the end of the season things will be made public."
If Courtois is allowed to leave the Spanish capital then Paris Saint-Germain are likely to lead a list of potential suitors.
