In light of Tibaut Courtois’s recent comments about his future, in which the Belgian refused to rule out the possibility of him moving away in search of Champions League football, Chelsea are reportedly looking at Keylor Navas as a possible replacement in case the 23-year-old leaves London in the summer.
The Costa Rica international has had a superb season for the Madrid giants in goal, but his future remains in doubt ahead of the summer transfer window. According to Metro, Real are apparently still keen on signing Manchester United star David de Gea after nearly missing out on him in the summer. Since his arrival from Atletico Madrid, the young Spaniard has grown to become one of the best shot stoppers on the planet.
Chelsea’s Belgian keeper is reported to be another option for the Spanish giants, as well as for Ligue 1 champions PSG. In case the lure of Madrid or the Parisians prove too much, Chelsea are already thinking about a potential replacement. The report further claims that the 29-year-old Costa Rican could be brought in at Stamford Bridge if the Blues do end up losing their keeper in the next transfer window.
A recent report by the DailyStar claimed that Chelsea stars Pedro and Fabregas have advised the former Atletico man against a move to Real Madrid, questioning its sensibility.
Courtois’s prospective move away from Chelsea
Speaking yesterday, interim Blues boss Guus Hiddink has played down rumours that link his gifted shot-stopper with a return to Madrid. Hiddink decided to reserve judgement on the topic saying, “Sometimes things can be a little bit mis-communicated and then you get a lot of spin off. Knowing him a bit, I don’t want to overvalue his comments.”
Courtois hasn’t had the best of seasons in England this term, but one could say that he’s fared better than most of the Chelsea squad. However, he remains one of the world’s top keepers. Chelsea know of his great talent and are all too aware that he might go on to be a world beater in the future.
The club will be reminded of the time they let go of club legend Petr Cech to fierce cross town rivals Arsenal. Over the course of this season, taking into consideration Courtois’s comments about his future, the fans and the board might wonder whether letting go of the veteran Cech was the right thing to do. The Costa Rican international moved to Real after a stunning World Cup display in Brazil in 2014. He wouldn’t be a bad replacement by any means, bringing years of experience and quality with him to London.
