Chelsea transfer rumour: Thibaut Courtois offers himself to Real Madrid
The Belgian will have only a year left on his current deal after the season.
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has offered his services to Real Madrid who have received a clear message from the Belgian stopper that he is interested in completing a move back to Spain where his family is settled.
AS reports that Madrid have replied back in the affirmative as they look to replace their stoppers over the next six months. 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 as Chelsea look to tie him down to a new deal.
The Blues are willing to more than double his £100,000 ($135,073)-a-week salary, with Antonio Conte urging the board to get the Belgian to put pen to paper. The new deal will reportedly make Courtois the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world. However, despite several meetings between the two concerned parties there has been no affirmation of a deal.
Courtois has made it clear that he eventually wants to return to Spain, where his two young children live, but with Real on the verge of signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, there is hope among the Chelsea class that he may be convinced to put pen to paper.
However, the report states that both transfers are not connected as Courtois would come in as a long-term replacement for Keylor Navas, who has struggled for consistency after a series of injuries. Real are looking to undergo a complete overhaul of their club before next season following a poor run of form in the current campaign, which has been attributed to a lack of quality personnel on the pitch.
Chelsea are open to the possibility of letting Courtois leave early next summer should he not sign a new contract, giving themselves ample time to close a deal for a quality replacement as directed by manager Antonio Conte.
Courtois himself is open to negotiating his future, stating that he will decide on his next move before the end of the season. The Belgian has previously spent a season on loan at Atletico Madrid before establishing himself as the central figure under the Chelsea goal, following the departure of Petr Cech.
"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," the Chelsea keeper said as quoted by Sky Sports.
"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."
