Chelsea hope to secure Thibaut Courtois' future by making him highest paid goalkeeper
The Belgian will have only a year left on his current deal after the season and would need a sumptuous offer to put pen to paper.
Chelsea are growing increasingly confident that they can tie down Thibaut Courtois to a new deal by making him the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world. The Belgian will have only a year left on his current deal after the season and would need a sumptuous offer to put pen to paper.
The Telegraph reports that Courtois will earn, including bonuses, more than the £200,000 a week, more than doubling his current deal at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are trying their best to get the deal done before the new year or early 2018, which would allow them some breathing space going into the January window.
Courtois has made it clear that he eventually wants to return to Spain, where his two young children live, but with Real Madrid on the verge of signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, there is hope among the Chelsea class that he may be convinced to put pen to paper.
Radio Station Cadena Cope says that both transfers are not connected as the Champions League winners plan to make a new move to sign the Blues number one in the summer even if they bring the in Spanish international during the upcoming winter market.
The stopper is yet to make a final decision on his future but hopes to get everything sorted before the end of the season. Manager Antonio Conte is keen to get Courtois to commit to a new deal while there is also concern about the future of Eden Hazard, whose contract expires in 2020.
"I love my children to death. When you miss them, you are sometimes wondering 'shouldn't I play in Spain in the next few years'? That's why I want to take my time to make a decision on that contract extension," the Chelsea keeper said as quoted by Sky Sports.
"My private situation is always gnawing a little bit, but for the rest, I'm feeling very good at Chelsea. I don't see any reason why I won't sign a new deal. I just want to consider all options. Everything has to be right. It's not the right moment to make hastily decisions. Not for Chelsea, not for me.
"Within a couple of months, we will sit around the table again and talk openly. There's no pressure, apart from the media. The club knows that too. Basically, I want an agreement before the end of the season."
