Real Madrid Passed on Bounou Due to Africa Cup of Nations Conflict

Speaking on the El Pelotazo show on Canal Sur Radio, Bounou confided that he had the opportunity to sign with Real Madrid and that he was "the first option" for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who were looking for a talented goalkeeper to replace the seriously injured Courtois. But the club’s management "analyzed the situation, saw that I could go to the Africa Cup of Nations and miss a lot of games in an important month for Real Madrid and that it was not possible," he said.

"The Africa Cup of Nations had a lot of influence on this market, both for me and for Youssef (En-Nesyri)," insisted the former Sevilla goalkeeper, stating that their likely participation in this competition, which will take place between January and February, was detrimental to their transfer to European clubs, with several league and continental cup matches scheduled during this period.

The Moroccan goalkeeper was also of interest to Bayern Munich. "Bayern were in contact with Sevilla. I was waiting for their offer. But in the meantime, other names were heard. I understood that Bayern were only looking for a loan. The clubs, unfortunately, no longer want to spend, it’s difficult," explained Bounou, who ultimately joined Al-Hilal for a little over 20 million euros.

The Moroccan justifies his departure: "I felt I had accomplished a lot of things with Sevilla and that it was time to leave. Staying would be like staining a bit of everything I had accomplished," he details. And he adds: "Last year, the season was not easy for me. With the World Cup, there was a lot of emotional and personal exhaustion, and I needed something new. And the club knew that..." Bounou also mentioned the case of his compatriot Youssef En-Nesyri who, according to him, will not leave "Sevilla for anything in the world. He has a history with this club."