Chelsea are reportedly sweating over the future of Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge with talks over a renewal hitting a roadblock.
According to a report in The Sun, Thibaut Courtois has stalled talks over signing a new deal with Chelsea and he is set to demand pay parity with Romelu Lukaku if his compatriot moves to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window. Real Madrid are interested in signing the Belgian shot-stopper.
Courtois bounced back to top form in the recently concluded season after a disastrous 2015/16 campaign saw him struggle alongside the rest of the Chelsea squad. But with the Blues reclaiming their position at the top of English football in 2016/17, Courtois, too, was back to his best.
As the Blues went about winning the Premier League title once again, Courtois was a key player at the back with several match winning performances over the course of the campaign. And he ended the season with the Golden Glove, as he kept the most clean sheets in the league (16) while conceding just 28 goals in 36 matches.
Suffice to say, Courtois has rightfully claimed his place among the best goalkeepers in the world at the present moment. And Chelsea are keen to reward the Belgium international for his stellar performances in the season with a bumper new contract even though his current deal still has two more years remaining.
However, Courtois has become embroiled in a contract standoff with the Blues, making the West London club sweat about his future at Stamford Bridge. And the reason behind the stalled talks? The 25-year-old wants to know how much Romelu Lukaku, who looks set to join Chelsea in the summer, will earn upon the completion of his transfer.
With the Everton striker expected to earn about £200,000 a week, as per the report, Courtois is set to demand parity with him as well as teammate Eden Hazard, who is also on the same pay package.
A £200,000-a-week deal would be a huge upgrade on his current contract with Chelsea which sees him earn £80,000 a week. But Courtois is aware that he is one of the most highly sought-after goalkeepers in the world, with Real Madrid, in particular, heavily linked with a summer move for him.
Los Blancos are reportedly eager to secure the services of a top quality goalkeeper in the summer and have, thus, set their sights on several shot stoppers, with Courtois being one of them. And the Belgian goalkeeper knows that he can use Real Madrid’s interest in him to secure a lucrative deal at Chelsea.
It now remains to be seen if Chelsea agree to Courtois’s demands, should he demand a £200,000-a-week contract from the Blues.
