Thibaut Courtois failed to report to training yesterday, making it clear he wants to leave Chelsea. It is not something The Blues weren’t aware of either. The Belgian stated his desire to be with his family based in Spain and repeated it on numerous occasions this summer, whether himself or through his agent.
Chelsea is willing to oblige, but not before finding a suitable replacement. Alisson was a target, yet the Brazilian opted to wear red instead of blue. Everton’s Jordan Pickford was next on the list, but England’s World Cup hero seems committed to Everton, as all of Chelsea’s attempts to approach him have been rebuffed.
What lies ahead is the transfer deadline. The Last thing Chelsea want is to begin the year with an unhappy goalkeeper disturbing an already tense locker room. Furthermore, they could lose Courtois for nothing if they don’t sell now. Maurizio Sarri would like to talk to Courtois first before making a final decision.
“I’m not interested in the agent,”
“I want to hear Courtois. If Courtois tomorrow says to me the same [as the agent], then I have to speak with my player, of course. Because I only want players with very high levels of motivation.”
However, he realizes it wouldn’t be much of a conversation.
Jack Butland new favourite to replace Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea
Jack Butland has emerged as the new favourite to replace Thibaut Courtois in front of Chelsea’s net. The 25-year-old goalkeeper is still with Stoke City, despite their relegation. He backed up Pickford during the 2018 World Cup and is still in his prime. He would probably cost as much as Chelsea receive from Real Madrid for Courtois, which doesn’t really make sense, considering the Belgian keeper is one of the best ones in the world.
Stoke will sell if the asking is met. However, they would also like to be given time to find a replacement of their own, so the further Chelsea’s indecisiveness lingers, the higher Butland’s price becomes as Thursday’s transfer deadline draws near.
Everton project gaining momentum
The news is bad for Chelsea, but it’s excellent for Everton. New manager, Marco Silva is putting his final touches on an encouraging pre-season in which he has managed to capture Richarlison, Lucas Digne and Bernard (undergoing his medical today) and is slowly shaping The Toffees to his liking. With the Yerry Mina transfer on the verge of being completed as well, we might be looking at the most improved team in England’s top flight next season.
