Leeds United fans will hope Kiko Casilla does not become next Raul Bravo

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Leeds United are closing in on a deal to sign Raul Bravo from Real Madrid. The 31-year-old goalkeeper is set to join the West Yorkshire side, with Leeds buying out the remainder of his 18 months at the Bernabeu.

Of course, signing a player from Real Madrid is always going to be exciting.

However, Leeds fans have been stung before.

In January 2003, the Whites signed Raul Bravo from Real Madrid on loan for the rest of the season.

It was a fairly dismal spell. Bravo, who proved his worth with Real and Olympiakos as well as the Spanish national team after leaving Leeds, flopped at Elland Road.

Leeds narrowly avoided relegation that season and Terry Venables signing Bravo did not help matters. Once he was withdrawn and Ian Harte reinstated by Peter Reid things improved. Leeds thrashed Charlton Athletic 6-1 in April 2003 with Bravo nowhere to be seen.

Bravo played five times for Leeds. They won once before losing the next four games to plunge them into relegation trouble.

Leeds fans will, of course, hold out hope that Casilla will be a far more impressive addition than Bravo. The Spanish left-back was, in fact, a very good footballer but the nature of a loan spell left him somewhat out of kilter at Elland Road.

Casilla is arriving permanently for a team with big plans going forward. It should be an entirely polar opposite experience.