Paris Saint-Germain have made initial contact with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois over the possibility of a summer move.
Chelsea custodian and Belgian international Thibaut Courtois has emerged as a summer transfer target for European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain claims a report from the ESPN. The club are reported to have already made contact with the player to make him aware of their interests.
The 25-year old has been linked with a move away from the Premier League champions a lot of late, with rumours of a return to Spain constantly doing the rounds. Real Madrid have been credited with a long-standing interest in the Belgian shot-stopper, who is also understood to be keen on moving to the Spanish capital with his children living there.
However, it is being reported that PSG have held informal talks with the Courtois’ camp to explore the possibility of transfer at the end of the season. The club’s sporting director Antero Henrique has made signing a new goalkeeper a top priority for the next summer, after not being totally convinced by current options Kevin Trapp and Alphonse Areola.
The Belgian goalie is understood to have responded positively to the advances made by Les Parisiens, but the chances of a move in the summer hinge on a lot of factors. However, this development has put a spanner in Chelsea’s plans of tying down their star man to a long-term contract.
Courtois is under contract with Chelsea until the end of next season, but has so far stalled on committing his long-term future to Stamford Bridge. And now it is believed that the negotiations are set to be postponed till the end of the season.
PSG’s transfer activities have been under intense scrutiny under UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, following their heavy spending in the summer to sign Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Hence, the club will be looking to offload more players at the end of the season before trying to bring in new faces, which could play a role in Courtois’ possible transfer.
Another major factor that can have a bearing on this potential deal is the future of current PSG manager Unai Emery. The 46-year old will see his contract expire at the end of the season and the club are willing to offer a new deal only if he leads the team to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League which looks like a distant possibility following their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16 stages.
If Emery does depart from Parc des Princes at the end of the season, current Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is understood to be a top target for PSG to replace the Spaniard and this could also have a major influence on whether Courtois decides to join the French heavyweights in the summer.
The deal hinges on a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ at the moment and while Courtois has hinted at being open to a move to France, it is unlikely that he would join PSG if Real Madrid come calling for him in the summer window.
Chelsea will be definitely be sweating over the prospect of losing their prized asset and will want to tie him down to a new contract at the earliest. However, if Courtois does not sign an extension, the Blues will be left to decide whether to cash in on him in the summer or lose him on a free transfer a year later.
