Chelsea must hand Thibaut Courtois a new contract with terms around the £200,000 per-week mark in order to keep him from the clutches of Real Madrid.
Daily Mirror are reporting that Chelsea might have to hand Thibaut Courtois a bumper pay rise in order to have a chance to keep the Belgian at Stamford Bridge. Courtois has been heavily linked to Real Madrid of late and the Blues might have to shelve out the cash in order to keep their prized asset off the clutches of their illustrious suitor.
Thibaut Courtois has become a household name in Belgium and in Europe, all at the age of 24. Spending three seasons out on loan to Atletico Madrid, the player impressed there emphatically and has continued to establish himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe at Chelsea.
After a somewhat disappointing last season, the custodian is back to his best, with 13 shutouts recorded in 27 Premier League games, conceding at a bewildering rate of less than 0.8 goals per game. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have been struggling to find an able successor to Iker Casillas.
Keylor Navas has commanded the place between the posts well but his consistency has been called into question often, with some fans speculating whether the Costa Rican deserves to be the undisputed number one for Los Blancos.
Chelsea will have to pay Thibaut Courtois more than £200,000-a-week to keep him out of Real Madrid’s clutches. (Source: Daily Mirror) pic.twitter.com/HOkaSK5j2l
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) March 17, 2017
Real Madrid have been linked with many goalkeepers with a potential summer foray into the transfer market. But, Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea and David De Gea of Manchester United are two of the strongest contenders among other transfer targets.
As per the report, though, Real Madrid feel Courtois is the more approachable one, with the Belgian sending out feelers of a possibility to return to the Spanish capital while David De Gea seems content with life at Old Trafford.
Chelsea, as per the report, will have to fork out a handsome pay rise, with terms of around £200,000 per-week in order to persuade the Belgian to stay at the club. Even then, though, the pay may be matched by Real Madrid easily, which is another headache for the Blues.
Courtois has reportedly been forcing a move to Real Madrid and this looks like a move that could well be on the cards in the summer.
