Chelsea duo Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois are willing to extend their contracts and prolong their stays at Stamford Bridge.
Over the course of last season, Diego Costa was one of the many Chelsea players to be criticised by the fans for his underwhelming performances under Jose Mourinho, which eventually saw the Portuguese getting sacked in December. Along with Thibaut Courtois, who also had a huge dip in form, Costa appeared to be discontent in London and was linked with a move away from the club in the summer.
The Telegraph now report that in light of Antonio Conte’s arrival and the Blues’ eventual revival, Courtois and Costa are willing to prolong their stays at Stamford Bridge beyond 2019. There is no hurry regarding the negotiations and talks over a new contract will reportedly start from next year.
It has been a remarkable turn of events for Chelsea and Costa since the summer, when Atletico Madrid’s President Enrique Cerezo claimed that the 28-year-old wanted to return to the Vicente Calderon. He was also linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Meanwhile, Courtois insisted in June that he did not wish to retire at Chelsea, insisting that it would ‘never’ happen. When asked about any possible future destinations, he said “I didn’t have one, in Spain I watched a lot of Madrid and Barca, in Germany I watched Bayern and Dortmund, in England Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and in Italy Juventus and Milan. There wasn’t one favourite but I always wanted to play at those clubs.”
In an interview in September he once again reiterated his desire to return to Spain, where he spent three hugely successful seasons, winning the Europa League, La Liga, Copa del Rey and reaching the final of the Champions League.
Should they extend their deals as reported, Costa would earn around £200,000 per week, while Courtois would receive wages in the region of £150,000 per week. By the look of things, Antonio Conte has clearly won over any doubters among the fans, pundits, and most importantly, the dressing room.
