Chelsea youngster plots move away from Stamford Bridge?

Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could leave the club and join Spanish giants Real Madrid after his contract expires in 2016, according to reports in the Spanish media.

The Belgian number one has been plying his trade with La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid for the last two-and-a-half seasons, and is yet to appear for the Blues, since joining from Genk in 2011.

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The 21-year-old, with his excellent shot stopping abilities, has established himself as one of the top young talents in world football. Atletico are keen to sign him permanently but the youngster has thus far rejected their advances, and seems keen to become the first choice keeper at the Bridge.

Courtois knows that replacing Petr Cech won’t be an easy task but at the same time has also insisted that he will not accept any roles on the bench, especially after the progress he has made in the last few seasons.

Real Madrid could be an attractive destination for Courtois. The two keepers at Los Blancos are in their mid-thirties and replacing either of them with a younger player makes sense.

The situation of Courtois leaves Jose Mourinho with a curious dilemma – should he stick with the 31-year-old Cech or replace him with a rising star.

The interest in Courtois is not unusual but at the moment you just can’t see why Chelsea would allow him to move elsewhere.

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