Chelsea to make Thibaut Courtois world’s best-paid goalkeeper
Chelsea have offered to make Thibaut Courtois the best-paid goalkeeper in the world and are growing increasingly optimistic the Belgian will sign a new contract.
Courtois will earn, including bonuses, more than the £200,000 a week David De Gea is paid by Manchester United if he signs a new deal that could run to 2023.
Chelsea are now concentrating their efforts on trying to secure the future of Courtois early in the New Year and have put any interest in Stoke City and England goalkeeper Jack Butland, and other potential replacements, on hold.
Real Madrid’s interest in KepaArrizabalaga has increased hope at Stamford Bridge that Courtois, who played for three seasons on loan at Atletico, can now be persuaded to stay.
Courtois has made it clear that he eventually wants to return to Spain, where his two young children live, but that avenue may not be open to him in the near future with Madrid tipped to sign Kepa from Athletic Bilbao in January.
The 25 year-old’s current £100,000-a-week deal will only have one year to run at the end of the season and Courtois had suggested he was willing to wait until the summer to discuss his future with Chelsea.
Courtois rejected the club’s first new contract offer in May, but Chelsea have now come back with a proposal that they hope will be too good to turn down. Further talks are likely to take place in the coming weeks aimed at reaching a final agreement.
The future of Courtois has become one of the most pressing issues on Chelsea’s agenda in recent weeks. The club are also hopeful of agreeing a new contract with his Belgian compatriot Eden Hazard, but the forward’s situation is not as urgent because his deal runs to 2020.
Head coach Antonio Conte has already warned Chelsea that they risk losing the best goalkeeper in the world if a new contract cannot be agreed with Courtois.