Thibaut Courtois has joined Eden Hazard in putting his Chelsea future under a cloud, amid interest from Real Madrid in a summer move.
As reported by Daily Mirror, Thibaut Courtois has become the second Chelsea player after Eden Hazard to put his future at Chelsea under a cloud of uncertainty. While the Belgian shot stopper insisted that he is happy at Chelsea, he did leave the door open for a possible exit. Real Madrid are interested in signing the 26-year-old.
Courtois has evolved into one of the best goalkeepers in the world since joining Chelsea from Genk in the summer of 2011. Initially honing his skills on-loan at Atletico Madrid for three seasons, the Belgian custodian has only gone on to enhance his reputation since returning to Stamford Bridge.
Over the last four seasons, Courtois has been a key figure for Chelsea. The same can be said about his status in international football with Belgium. His exploits over the last one month at the 2018 FIFA World Cup saw him being awarded with the Golden Glove. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that clubs like Real Madrid have constantly had the 26-year-old on their radar.
Real Madrid have sought to bring in a top goalkeeper for a while now. The likes of David De Gea and Alisson were thought to be ahead of Courtois on the priority list. But, the Belgian’s display in Russia combined with his contract standoff at Chelsea has seen him jump to the head of the queue.
Courtois has gone on to add more speculation to his Chelsea future in what could be perceived as a boost for Real Madrid. When quizzed by reporters on his future with the Blues, 26-year-old said that while he is happy at Chelsea, he will only stay if his terms are met.
“Obviously with this World Cup, I think what was on the table obviously is different than what I can have, maybe. In this World Cup, I have ignored all the speculation, all the rumours. But now in the next few days I will have a chat with my agent and see what Chelsea told him, and then we will talk. But I feel happy at Chelsea, it’s not that I necessarily want to leave.”
But, when asked about Eden Hazard’s future following his explosive comments recently, Courtois hinted that the duo will be at the same club next season, saying, “Wherever I go Eden must come along. We will not let each other go.”
Hazard himself hinted towards a possible summer move to his “preferred destination”, which is believed to Real Madrid. With Courtois previously admitting that his “heart is in the Spanish capital”, the Belgian could make for a double switch from Stamford Bridge to the Bernabeu alongside Hazard, especially with Atletico Madrid well settled in the goalkeeping department with Jan Oblak.
While reports have suggested that Chelsea could be open to selling Courtois with Alisson in their sights, Mirror have suggested that Sarri’s primary objective is to keep hold of the player. It all depends on the 26-year-old agreeing terms over a new deal though, the failure of which could see Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard make their way to Real Madrid together this summer.
