Thibaut Courtois’ position at Chelsea has been subject to a lot of speculation lately, with Real Madrid’s failure to conclude the signing of David De Gea. Manchester United’s reluctance in parting with their star stopper has led to Los Blancos setting their sights on the highly rated Belgian No. 1.
The goalkeeper openly admitting his preference for living in Madrid, having spent 3 years on loan at Atletico Madrid, hasn’t helped in putting an end to the rumours linking him with the Bernabeu outfit.
Already counted as one of the top-5 goalkeepers in the world, Chelsea had signed the goalkeeper back in 2011 for a measly sum of £7.9m, a testament to their amazing scouting network.
The 25-year-old Belgian spent 3 trophy-laden years at Atletico, yielding a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, a Europa League and a UEFA Super Cup. Courtois was finally brought back into the Chelsea fold by Jose Mourinho in the 2014-15 season that ended with The Blues winning the Premier League title and the League Cup. Since then he has replaced Petr Cech between the sticks, who moved on to The Gunners.
But with rumours linking Courtois to Madrid refusing to die down, Chelsea are reportedly looking at the highly rated 24-year-old Alphonse Areola. The French youngster has received high praise from Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon who said of the player, “Today, he is physically imposing and assured with a big presence. He will become an important goalkeeper.”
That’s as legit as it gets when it comes to an authority voice on keepers. A product of the INF Clairefontaine academy, the player made his debut in 2013, coming off the bench against Stade Brestois. Something of a journeyman, having been loaned out to RC Lens, Bastia and then Villareal, the player made a return to his parent club, PSG, for the 2016-17 season.
His successful spell in Spain, keeping most clean sheets after Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo, caught the eye of Unai Emery.
At PSG, the 24-year-old Frenchman was competing with Kevin Trapp. In an arrangement where Trapp would be the stand-in keeper for the Ligue 1 games and Areola in the cup games, including the Champions League, the Frenchman excelled, making a name for himself as a penalty expert.
“Alphonse is a young goalkeeper and he plays very well with the ball at his feet,” club-captain Thiago Silva told journalists after a win against Bulgarian side Ludogorets.
With contract talks between Courtois and Chelsea stalling, reports indicate that Antonio Conte is looking at Areola as a possible replacement for the Belgian. Chelsea have already unveiled Willy Caballero on a free from Manchester City after the erstwhile backup keeper Asmir Begovic chose to join Bournemouth in a £10m deal.
There are reports emerging that the Frenchman touted to replace Hugo Lloris in the National team eventually, isn’t happy with the Parisians. Despite starting the first 6 Champions League games, he was overlooked in favour of Trapp against Barcelona over two legs that resulted in a humiliating defeat.
With the French outfit looking to bring in another keeper this season, he has expressed his desire to move on to a club that offers more first-team opportunities. Which is why the move going through is highly suspect if Courtois decides to stay on with The Blues, chances of which seem more likely than him moving to Madrid.
