- Courtois will see his Chelsea contract expire in 2019
- Delay with signing of renewal has led to speculation over future
- Return to Spain has been tipped due to family reasons, Belgian calms exit fears
- READ MORE: Chelsea ace will leave in January, Sky Sports pundit convinced of exit
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been the subject of plenty of speculation in recent weeks, but he’s moved to allay fears over his future.
After a successful three-year loan stint with Atletico Madrid, the Belgian international returned to Stamford Bridge in 2014, and has been an integral piece in the club’s achievement of winning two Premier League titles in the last three years.
In turn, it would come as no surprise if they were desperate to keep hold of him, but it hasn’t proven to be as simple as getting him to sign a renewal immediately to commit his long-term future to the Blues.
As reported by the Evening Standard, the 25-year-old has already turned down a Chelsea offer which didn’t satisfy his £200,000-a-week demands, and so naturally that would have added further concern to the situation along with the fact that his two children are being raised in Madrid.
However, he has talked down fears that he could be seeking an exit from Stamford Bridge sooner rather than later, but has suggested that talks before the end of the season could be pivotal.
“I want to take my time,” he said, as seen in the video below. “Of course there’s the situation with my children, but I’m happy here. I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t sign a new deal.
“There’s no pressure. I want to have an agreement before the end of season. With Chelsea, normally.”
While adding that he expects to sit down for further talks next year, time will ultimately tell if a new agreement can be reached to silence talk of a move back to Spain as based on these comments, Courtois doesn’t have a desire to leave west London.
Given he remains first choice and a key figure for Antonio Conte as well as for Belgium, with Chelsea competing for major honours, there doesn’t seem to be too much on the pitch that should force him to reconsider his current situation.
In turn, if a deal is struck, it will be a huge boost for Chelsea as they would have a tough time finding a world-class replacement who can offer the consistency and reliability that Courtois has shown for the last three years.
Keert @thibautcourtois terug naar Madrid of blijft hij in Londen? “Mijn privésituatie knaagt soms, maar ik verwacht voor einde van seizoen een akkoord te hebben met @ChelseaFC“
? Bekijk het volledige gesprek morgen in Stadion, om 18u15 op VTM.
?? https://t.co/jBLRYms1Q1 pic.twitter.com/tzQ8K9sdnN
— Stadion (@VTMStadion) December 9, 2017