Reports in England suggest that Thibaut Courtois will return to Chelsea this summer and commit to a long-term deal with the club.
Courtois, currently enjoying his third season on loan with Atletico Madrid, has not yet played for Chelsea following his 2011 arrival but is reported to have verbally agreed a new five-year deal with the London outfit.
The Belgian’s three years at the Vicente Calderon have seen the 21-year-old establish himself as a goalkeeper in the uppermost echelons of world football.
His performances for Atletico have helped the club actively challenge for La Liga silverware and given Atletico a fighting chance in the Champions League – they are priced at 18.00 to win the competition but face stern opposition in Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Jose Mourinho has made it clear that Courtois was always going to return to the club this summer and will be delighted that he has persuaded the starlet to sign a new deal ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge, managing to fend off interest from Atletico, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The return of the youngster to west London will of course bring up questions about Petr Cech’s future at the club. It is clear that Courtois will not be wanting to warm the bench, while a substitute’s berth is hardly befitting of a goalkeeper of Cech’s ability.
Whether or not Mourinho will allow Cech to leave the Bridge in the summer remains to be seen but, come August, the Portuguese manager could have a massive selection headache to try and resolve.
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