PSG add Navas, Areola heads to Real Madrid in rare 'keeper swap

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain swapped shot-stoppers on transfer deadline day, with Keylor Navas heading to France and Alphonse Areola going the other way.

The Costa Rican joins the Ligue 1 champions on a permanent transfer, having inked a four-year contract. Areola, meanwhile, is making the switch to the Santiago Bernabeu on a season-long loan; PSG confirmed that Madrid won't have an option to buy the 26-year-old netminder at the end of the campaign.

Navas, 32, made 104 appearances for Los Blancos, helping them capture three Champions League titles. With Areola now out of the picture and Gianluigi Buffon having returned to Juventus this summer, Navas will assume the starting duties between the sticks for Thomas Tuchel's team.

His French counterpart will likely have a more difficult time getting on the pitch this season, though. Areola is expected to serve as the backup 'keeper to incumbent No. 1 Thibaut Courtois in the Spanish capital.