Courtois urges Chelsea to open wallet

– Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes the FA Cup winners need to spend heavily if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

Eden Hazard’s 22nd-minute penalty saw Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.

But that could not disguise the fact that the Londoners, champions in the previous season, finished a massive 30 points behind title-winners Manchester City.

There has long been speculation linking Courtois (right) with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, while Chelsea manager Antonio Conte could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge despite the FA Cup triumph.

The Blues were known for spending lavishly under Russian owner Roman Abramovich but the billionaire now finds himself effectively going up against a state in City’s Sheikh Mansour, a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and a deputy president of the United Arab Emirates.

Courtois, 26, was vague over Italian manager Conte’s future, saying “whatever he or the club decides, they will know what they do”, and the Belgian international refused to give any guarantees about whether he would be staying in west London.

“Like I have said, I think we’ll see after the World Cup whether I am a Chelsea player for next year,” Courtois said. – AFP