With no summer signings yet, Chelsea now resembles a club in transition. They are set to replace Antonio Conte with Maurizio Sarri and are now looking to add players to the side that will help the new Italian at Stamford Bridge. But this unrest has seen a few of the first team stars linked with an exit and one such player, who is yet to pledge his future to the club is Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian international joined Chelsea back in 2011 from Genk and was immediately sent out on loan to the Spanish capital with Atletico Madrid. He spent three seasons in La Liga, earning the reputation of being one of the best in his role in the country.
He was brought back to Stamford Bridge in 2014 as a replacement for Petr Cech and stands as one of the very few stars to make it into the first team from Chelsea’s loan system. He played 35 and 36 league games in the last two seasons and has won two league titles in his time in London.
An intimidating presence under the bar, the 26-year old is an athletic shot-stopper, capable of pulling out mind-blowing saves on a consistent basis. His tall frame allows him to gather anything thrown in the air into his box while his ability to make himself big in one-on-one situations makes him a real asset.
He is confident with the ball at his feet and does not like to waste possession. His distribution helps Chelsea set up counter attacks from the back at just 26, he is definitely one of the best GKs going around in Europe at the moment.
He won the Premier League Golden Glove last season and though did not have a productive 2017-18 campaign, still was one of the best players for Chelsea. However, he has just a year left on his current contract and is yet to sign a contract extension.
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Reports suggest that he is reluctant to put pen to paper if Conte stays put and that he is desperate for a move to Madrid. However, it is now understood that Chelsea recently rejected a £35m bid for his services from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Los Blancos want a replacement for Keylor Navas and are unable to land David de Gea. Courtois has been on their radar for a while now and with the Belgian eager to reunite with his family in Madrid, it looked like he was on the move.
But the UCL champions have now turned their attention towards Brazilian ace Alisson Becker, leaving Courtois hanging. So it makes no sense for the Belgian to look elsewhere as he is settled in London and has no real reason to quit Chelsea, especially if Sarri is taking over.
