Antonio Conte’s men managed to steal a point from their trip to Anfield, thanks to a fluke-goal from Willian, who came off the bench at the weekend. The manager will not be too pleased with the performance of his side and will look to add some quality in the January transfer window. However, the manager might end up losing one his first team stars in the near future in the form of Thibaut Courtois.
Having made 104 PL appearances to date for the Blues, Courtois has surely turned into one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe at the moment but he is coy over his future at the club, and is yet to sign an extension on his contract that comes to an end in 2019.
Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are in desperate need of a replacement for Keylor Navas on goal, are interested in Courtois, along with French giants PSG, who are ready to offer what it takes to land him. He will fetch the club decent amount in this inflated market but Chelsea see to have given up on his contract and are already looking at replacements.
And one name constantly doing the rounds is Stoke City star, Jack Butland. The English international is expected to cost around £30m at the end of the season, so should Chelsea go for him if they lose Courtois?
Slowly establishing himself in the first team for England, Butland is easily one of the best shot-stoppers in the country at the moment. Known for his reflexes and ability to dominate the box, Butland is a composed character, who does not rush things.
Playing for the Potters, he is usually exposed to enough shots every game to showcase his skills almost every week and though he may not be great with the ball at his feet, is more than willing to adapt to different needs.
For club and country, he has shown decent composure in helping his side, play out from the back and at just 24, will only get better with more game time. He is a dominating figure and is usually pro-active in set-piece situations while his understanding of the game is also evident in most of what he does in possession of the ball.
He is a confident shot-stopper, who loves to smother crosses which makes him vulnerable at times but 53 top flight appearances already under his belt, is slowly learning to be patient.
He is definitely not a readymade replacement for Courtois, who is among the best but at the moment, there are not many names that can replace the Belgian in the long run. So Chelsea, even if it costs £30m should get Butland to move to London if they lose Courtois next summer.
