Marcos Alonso 'hopes' Thibaut Courtois will snub Real Madrid move to stay at Chelsea

Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso hopes Thibaut Courtois will stay at Stamford Bridge for the long-term despite recent reports linking the goalkeeper with a summer move to Real Madrid.

Real Madrid have been linked the Belgium international keeper ever since he impressed in La Liga while playing three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid, helping Diego Simeone's side conquer La Liga in 2013-2014 ahead of Barcelona and Los Blancos.

Earlier in December The Telegraph said the Blues put a stunning £73m million price tag on Courtois when Real Madrid enquired for his services last summer, but were now ready to ward off the Champions League winners by handing the keeper a new lucrative deal.

However, Courtois is eventually yet to sign a new deal and the speculations linking him with Zinedine Zidane's side have re-emerged since last month Spanish Radio Station Cadena Cope reported that the keeper was like "crazy" about the possibility of moving to Real Madrid in the summer, and had even already told his teammates at Stamford Bridge about his desires to return to Spain.

Other sources in recent days have claimed that Real Madrid only have Courtois as the back-up to David De Gea ahead of the coming summer, as the clubs' top target is eventually the Manchester United number one.

One way or another Alonso expects that his current teammate snubs the possibility of joining the Champions League winners to stay at Chelsea for the long-term.

"I really hope (Courtois doesn't move to Real Madrid) because he is great goalkeeper and he is helping us every game," Alonso told Onda Cero show Radio Estadio when asked about the rumours linking the Belgium international with a move to Real Madrid.

Alonso grew up at the Real Madrid academy before joining Bolton in 2010 and has also seen his name linked with a return to the Santiago Bernabeu in recent times.

But he added: "Since I left there I have had no contact with the club and now I am very focused on Chelsea. We have a very important season ahead."

Yet, the Spaniard hopes his side can put behind them the Sunday's 1-1 draw at Burnley to continue their good form under Antonio Conte in the last games of the season in order to conquer the Premier League title.

"The team are playing very well. We have adapted very well to the idea of the coach and we hope to continue this way until the end of the season. We are training a lot and very well. The team has understood perfectly what the coach wants and we are proving that every weekend," Alonso said while hailing the hard training sessions of Conte as the key behind their success.

"It is clear that not playing Europe is an advantage over other teams but we are training very well, and I think that's the most important thing. That's what is allowing us to stay free of injuries and play with almost the same eleven every weekend.

"It is not easy to bring the methods of a new manager to the Premier League. We are seeing that with Pep Guardiola and other new coaches. In the Premier League it is not easy to innovate (like Conte is doing with the 3-4-3). But we are doing things well, we train a lot and that is helping us."