Chelsea have already lost star striker Diego Costa in the last few months and could be about to lose David Luiz, both due to public bust-ups with Antonio Conte. However, the Blues could be on the verge of being forced into the sale of another key player; a transfer that won’t be because of their Italian boss.
Thibaut Courtois was signed by André Villas-Boas as a future replacement for Petr Cech and the Belgian shot-stopper has really stepped into the role of Chelsea’s number one goalkeeper during the past couple of seasons after spending the first three years of his Blues career on loan at Atletico Madrid.
The 25-year-old’s agent attempted to negotiate a new contract for his client after he played a vital role in their second title win in the last three campaigns. It came to nothing and talks have been stalled until the end of this season, amidst interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
This interest has been fuelled not only by his ex-girlfriend moving back to Spain with his two children, but also with the former Genk keeper regularly reminding himself and the media that he would welcome a return to La Liga.
Despite this, Chelsea fans can take some comfort from the fact that Courtois has said on a number of occasions that he is happy at Stamford Bridge, as well as saying that he is open to signing a new contract when the terms are right.
In the buildup to the Champions League clash with Qarabag, the star made it clear that he is more concerned with the team and their performances than his contract situation. He then added that there is plenty of time when the season concludes in May for talks about a potential new deal, which is certainly positive news for Blues fans as they will be desperate for their number one to sign on the dotted line at the end of the campaign.
If talks hit another standstill in the summer, it could see Thibaut Courtois leave for a small transfer fee as he will only have 12 months left on his current deal, something that no one associated with Chelsea Football Club will want to see.
Header image by Ben Sutherland from Crystal Palace [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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