Chelsea are reportedly prepared to sell Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid if he confirms his desire to leave to manager Maurizio Sarri.
As reported by The Times, Chelsea will allow Thibaut Courtois to end his stint at Stamford Bridge if he confirms his intention to leave in his scheduled talks with Maurizio Sarri. Real Madrid are interested in signing the Belgian goalkeeper, who recently iterated his desire to return to the Spanish capital.
Courtois’s never-ending links with Real Madrid have morphed into one of the most intriguing transfer sagas this summer. Chelsea, on the other hand, have reportedly been reluctant to part ways with their star players, including the Belgian international, as they look to return to the top of English football.
Maurizio Sarri too, has maintained the same stance, insisting that he will fight hard to keep hold of his unsettled stars at Chelsea. But, Real Madrid could have been handed a huge boost in pursuit of Courtois after the Chelsea boss insisted that he will allow the goalkeeper to leave if he is not motivated to play for the club.
“I’m not interested in the agent. I want to hear [from] Courtois. If Courtois says the same, I have to speak with my club because I only want players with a high level of motivation.”
Courtois’s agent Christophe Henrotay recently alluded to the speculation around the player’s future, claiming that his major motive to join Real Madrid is to be reunited with his children. And although Chelsea would like to retain the services of the 26-year-old and risk losing him for free next summer, keeping an unsettled player could adversely affect the dressing room atmosphere.
Widespread reports have suggested that Courtois has already agreed personal terms with Real Madrid. And so, Los Blancos could snap him up quickly if he’s allowed to leave. The biggest hold-up in their bid to sign Courtois though, will be Chelsea’s ability to zero in on his replacement in time before the August 9 transfer deadline for English clubs.
The likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Kasper Schmeichel and Jordan Pickford have all been heavily linked with the Blues, with Jack Butland the latest name on their wishlist. But, there have been no concrete reports which have suggested that are Chelsea are close to securing someone.
For now, news of Courtois being allowed to leave will be music to those at Real Madrid, as they look to finally end their long-running pursuit of a top class goalkeeper. As far as Chelsea are concerned, they must step up their pursuit of landing a replacement for Courtois, who could finally get his wish to return to the Spanish capital.
