COURTOIS GOES Chelsea keeper stays away as he pushes for Madrid move AWOL
THIBAUT COURTOIS has gone AWOL from Chelsea in an attempt to force through his move to Real Madrid. The Belgian World Cup keeper, who has made it clear to the club after rejecting a new contract that he wants to move to Spain, was due to return after holiday to training with Chelsea yesterday afternoon, where talks with new manager Maurizio Sarri were scheduled, but he did not turn up at the club’s Cobham HQ.
Chelsea are now in a desperate race to sign a replacement before Thursday’s 5pm transfer deadline – with Stoke’s Jack Butland, AC Milan’s Pepe Reina, Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Sevilla’s Sergio Rico possible contenders.
Courtois, 26, was due to be at Chelsea’s Community Shield game against Manchester City on Sunday, which they lost 2-0, with the rest of the non-playing squad, but did not show up. His two children both live in Madrid, where