Best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021

The 2020-21 season was filled with intense rivalries and amazing moments that will remain with us for years to come. While forwards and strikers usually receive the plaudits for most of the action, there is no denying the fact that football is a collective and team-based game and a team simply can’t function without a good goalkeeper.

Goalkeepers are vital parts of any football team and we have witnessed so many iconic keepers grace the pitch to amaze us with how they keep the ball out of their nets. Every year, a new shot-stopper appears on the big stage and every year we get to see thrilling rivalries between the goalkeepers of every league, who all want to get their hands on their respective leagues’ best goalie of the season award. So who were the

best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021

? Who won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy in the year that passed?

Surely you too are eager to find out more about the best-performing goalkeepers of the Spanish top-flight as their performances are truly incredible week-in week-out. So read on as we provide detailed information about the careers of these in-form goalkeepers and get to see their stats so far in the new season as well.

Best La Liga goalkeepers of 2021

From the obvious three superstars in the Spanish top-flight, namely Thibaut Courtois, Jan Oblak and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, to other newly discovered talents such as Unai Simon, there are many great shot-stoppers on the list of best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021, all of whom are currently battling it out for a better place on the league table this season. So without further ado, here is everything you need to know about these footballers and their careers so far.

Matias Dituro

• Team: Celta Vigo

• Market value: €1M

We will be starting off our list of

best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021

with Matias Dituro, who has proven to everyone that he can be an effective shot-stopper at not only one, but two different teams in the Spanish top-flight. The Argentine might not be considered to be one of the greatest keepers in history, but he has certainly managed to attract some attention for his phenomenal form in goal in the past couple of years.

Dituro has played for numerous clubs throughout his career, but perhaps his return to

is the reason he has set foot onto the big stage. Dituro used to be a part of Celta Vigo’s B side way back in 2011 and it took him more than ten years to finally earn himself a place in the club’s senior side. Even though the 34-year-old is currently on loan at the Spanish side and his move is not permanent, Dituro’s performance has earned him a place amongst the greatest La Liga goalkeepers in 2021.

We are already halfway into the second month of 2022, yet the first half of the current season was in the year that passed and Dituro’s performance during that half was exceptional. You might think that conceding 26 goals in 25 appearances throughout the season might not be that exceptional for a goalkeeper, but keep in mind that Dituro does not play for one of the top three in the league and yet has managed to get 10 clean sheets in 25 appearances.

Celta Vigo are currently roaming the middle of the table with 32 points in 25 league games and they seem to be quite content with their position in the league. They have conceded the least number of goals compared to their rivals in the middle of the table and that is all thanks to Dituro’s brilliance in goal.

Alex Remiro

• Team: Real Sociedad

• Market value: €22M

have got themselves one of the most promising keepers in the Spanish top-flight. This particularly talented shot-stopper’s name is Alex Remiro, who is a 26-year-old Spaniard with a massive market value of €22 million. Remiro rose up the ranks at Athletic Bilbao and joined their senior side back in 2016. He went on to spend some time on loan at Levante and

, before returning to Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018.

Even though Bilbao are quite adept in finding the best goalkeeping talents, they missed the chance to help Remiro blossom into his full potential. That is why the youngster joined Real Sociedad on a free transfer deal a year later in 2019. Since then, the Spaniard has turned into one of the best-performing keepers in Spain and proved to be one of the

best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021

with his brilliant stats.

With a height of 1.91 meters, Remiro is able to reach places other keepers can’t and that is one of the main reasons of his success. He made a total of 48 appearances for Sociedad in the 2020-21 season and conceded 50 goals in the process, keeping an impressive number of 18 clean sheets as well. His team finished in a Europa League spot last season as they acquired 62 points from their 38 league games.

Even though they are a couple of points short from reaching the same spot in the current campaign, they are still capable enough to finish in a European tournament spot. As one of the greatest La Liga goalkeepers in 2021, Remiro has already managed to up his game and get 15 clean sheets in 28 league games this season, conceding 28 goals in the process.

Sergio Herrera

• Team: CA Osasuna

• Market value: €6M

Next on the list of

best La Liga goalkeepers of 2021

Sergio Herrera, who guards Osasuna’s goal with impressive efficiency. The 28-year-old used to play for clubs such as SD Amorebieta and SD Huesca before joining

for €300k in the summer of 2017. Since then, Herrera has improved his game further every year and is now considered to be one of the best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021.

The Spaniard has been his side’s main keeper throughout the season and has managed to keep 10 clean sheets in 25 league appearances in the current campaign, conceding 29 goals in the process. These stats have helped Osasuna to fight for their place in the middle of the table alongside Celta Vigo and Rayo Vallecano.

Herrera managed to achieve the same clean sheet stats in a total of 33 appearances last season, which clearly shows that he has improved his performance in order to be amongst the top-performers of the Spanish top-flight. The former Huseca keeper’s current market value is estimated to be around €6 million and a lot more attention is certainly going to be headed his way in the coming months if he keeps up his good work.

Unai Simon

• Team: Athletic Bilbao

• Market value: €25M

certainly know how to raise a fine goalkeeper as they have a knack for finding the most talented shot-stoppers amongst young and aspiring talents. That is why they earned significant resources after selling Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea for a massive of €80 million in the summer of 2018. Even though Arrizabalaga did not manage to live up to the billing and disappointed Chelsea supporters with his bad run of form, Athletic Bilbao have already found a great replacement for their former keeper in Unai Simon.

The 24-year-old Spaniard is one of the nation’s most promising talents and we are all waiting to see if he can one day become his nation’s first-choice goalkeeper. Of course he already seems to have reached that feat as he has already made a total of 20 international appearances throughout his career so far. Before becoming one of the best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021, Simon was considered to be an exciting prospect at the club’s youth academy.

He joined their senior side in the summer of 2018 and has since become an integral part of the Spanish club. Bilbao are currently eighth in the league with 37 points from their last 25 league games. Even though they have not scored the most goals this season, their defense has been one of the tightest in the business as they have conceded 21 goals throughout the season so far. That is all thanks to Unai Simon’s incredible consistency, which has helped him make 9 clean sheets in 21 league appearances this season.

Of course Simon’s stats in the current season is not the whole reason behind him being one of the

greatest La Liga goalkeepers in 2021

, since he managed to make the same number of clean sheets in the 2020-21 season as well. But considering the fact that we are still a long way away from finishing the league, the Spaniard goalkeeper can easily surpass his previous records if he keeps up his consistency.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen

• Team: Barcelona

• Market value: €45M

You surely know who the next one on the list of La Liga best goalkeepers in 2021 is, since he is considered to be one of the best keepers in the world right now. 29-year-old Marc-Andre ter Stegen gained prominence as a talented shot-stopper during his days at

’s youth academy. He joined the club’s senior side back in 2010 and quickly became a vital part of his side.

It took him four years to earn his first and possibly last big-money move as he went on to turn himself into an iconic goalkeeper after joining

from Borussia Monchengladbach for €12 million in the summer of 2014. Since then, the German international has won everything there is to win with the Blaugrana and is considered to be the best goalkeeper in the world by many football enthusiasts.

Even though Manuel Neuer’s reign as Germany’s first-choice keeper has kept ter Stegen from achieving further success and fame as a world-class goalkeeper on international duty, the 29-year-old has still managed to create a legacy for himself as one of Barcelona’s most successful goalies. With a massive market value of €45 million, the former Borussia Monchengladbach footballer proved to be one of the best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021 by making 14 clean sheets in 42 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season.

Given the fact that he had just returned from injury and was healing from his knee surgery, ter Stegen’s return to football was phenomenal as he kept Barcelona amongst the top-three. Of course with Lionel Messi’s departure from the Catalan giants, they sunk deeper in the league table and have only just returned to the top as they are battling it out for a place in next season’s Champions League.

The German goalie has received much criticism for his alleged poor run of form in the 2021-22 season, yet he has still managed to prove that he was amongst the

La Liga best goalkeepers in 2021

.

Geronimo Rulli

• Team: Villarreal

• Market value: €6M

Next on the list of La Liga best goalkeepers in 2021 is Geronimo Rulli, who has been on fire lately with his impressive performances week-in week-out. He was at his best in the 2020-21 season and that was one of the main reasons behind Villarreal’s success in the Europa League as they won the trophy against

. Rulli has played for a wide variety of football clubs throughout the years, including Real Sociedad, Maldonado, Manchester City, Montpellier and now

.

He joined the Spanish side from Real Sociedad for €5 million in 2020 and has since revolutionized his side’s defense with his incredible grip. Even though his current market value may suggest that the 29-year-old is a subpar goalie with not enough potential, the Argentine has proven time and time again that he is worth more than his market value. He has already recorded 13 clean sheets in 31 appearances across all competitions this season and has significantly helped his side in their efforts to stay in a European tournament spot on the league table.

Unai Emery’s men are currently sixth in the Spanish top-flight with 39 points in 25 games and clearly have the chance to finish in a better position if they keep the consistency and their rivals slip up in coming weeks. We will have to wait and see if Geronimo Rulli, one of the best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021, can help his side finish in a Champions League spot at the end of the season or not.

Rui Silva

• Team: Real Betis

• Market value: €14M

28-year-old Rui Silva is one of those footballers who take the world by storm after switching clubs in the summer. The Portuguese keeper joined

from

on a free transfer deal in the summer of the 2021 and has since been an excellent addition to Manuel Pellegrini’s roster. Prior to joining Real Betis, Silva was a brilliant goalkeeper at Granada as it is quite clear that he was one of the main reasons why Granada were not relegated to the second tier of Spanish football in the 2020-21 season.

He helped his former side finish middle of the table and now Granada are struggling to find their form without their star goalkeeper. Real Betis, on the other hand, have thrived with Silva’s arrival as he has been able to help his new side become a top club in Spain, competing for a place amongst the top-three. His current market value is believed to be around €14 million, which is a direct and clear reflection of the fact that he was one of the best La Liga goalkeepers in 2021.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men currently sit third in the league behind Sevilla and Real Madrid and they are surprisingly above the likes of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, who have experienced quite a dip in form in the past few months. Betis also have the ability and the will to catch up to Julen Lopetegui and his men, who are currently second in the Spanish top-flight with 51 points in 25 league games.

Bono

• Team: Sevilla

• Market value: €15M

Yassine Bounou, shortly known as Bono, is a 30-year-old goalkeeper who guards Sevilla’s goal with all he has got. The Morocco international has almost played his entire career in Spain, having joined clubs such as Real Zaragoza, Atletico Madrid, Girona and now

. He actually spent a season on loan at Sevilla in 2019, before joining the Spanish side on a permanent deal a year later in 2020.

Sevilla are currently the surprise of the season as they are chasing Real Madrid for a chance to win the league title at the end of the season. Seeing how both of Los Blancos’ main rivals, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are struggling to find their form, Julen Lopetegui took his chance to cement his side’s position above all the other clubs except Real Madrid.

Even though Carlo Ancelotti’s side seem to have a comfortable lead for the moment, Bono’s incredible performance in the league could help Sevilla keep more clean sheets and edge past their rivals with a couple of goals.

Bono is one of the best-performing goalies in the whole continent as he has only conceded 11 goals in his 20 league appearances this season, keeping 11 clean sheets in the process. The Moroccan keeper’s current market value is estimated to be around €15 million, which could rise substantially if Sevilla ever manage to give Real Madrid a run for their money and even manage to win the league title against all odds.

Jan Oblak

• Team: Atletico Madrid

• Market value: €60M

Ever since Jan Oblak’s arrival at

, few goalkeepers have managed to win the Zamora Trophy. The Slovenian is without a doubt one of the best shot-stoppers in the world and has been for some time. His brilliance in goal was one of the main reasons behind Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid’s success in winning the league title last season. The 29-year-old is a beast of a keeper and seems to be an impregnable wall most of the times.

He joined the Rojiblancos from Benfica for only €16 million in the summer of 2014 and has since been one of the best goalkeepers in the world. While Atleti are struggling to find their best form in the league, Jan Oblak is the same great keeper he has always been. His consistency deserves credit as he has conceded 34 goals in 25 league games, keeping 9 clean sheets in the process.

Even though his current stats are not that great compared to some of the other goalies on the list, his brilliance in the 2020-21 season earned him a better place on the list of best goalkeepers in La Liga 2021.

Thibaut Courtois

• Team: Real Madrid

• Market value: €65M

Who would have thought that the same goalkeeper who was conceding goals left and right during his first season at

, would go on to become one of the best goalies in the club’s history? The Belgium international proved his incredible potential back when he has on loan at Atletico Madrid. He helped Diego Simeone achieve his first golden age with the Rojiblancos as they won the league title against all odds.

He then returned to Chelsea and helped the Premier League side win several trophies throughout the years. Since joining Real Madrid from

for €35 million in 2018, Courtois has become an even better goalkeeper with much superior stats. The Belgian star has got himself a brilliant total of 15 clean sheets in 35 appearances across all competitions this season, conceding 27 goals in the process.

He has been the only one good enough to challenge and even beat Jan Oblak in the race for the Zamora trophy in the past couple of years as not even Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been able to do that since his arrival at Barcelona. These stats alone are enough to put Coutrois on the lsit of best goalkeepers in La Liga 2021 and the former Chelsea star seems to be on his way towards winning his second Zamora trophy at the end of the current campaign.

We will have to wait and see if he can help his side become La Liga champions, or if Bono could somehow beat Courtois to both the individual trophy and the league title in the coming months.

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