As soon as Thibaut Courtois admitted his “heart was in Madrid”, the writing was on the wall for Chelsea. The goalkeeper, who many believe has played his final game for the Blues, is currently with the Belgium squad preparing for the World Cup; his future will be the last thing on his mind, but that comment, made back in February, will have been music to the ears of Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid.
Chelsea’s indifferent form in 2018 cost them dearly in the end; Champions League qualification alluded them at the final hurdle and, despite winning the FA Cup, the general consensus is that it is only a matter of time before Antonio Conte, their manager, departs. There is a dark cloud of uncertainty in the boardroom, too; owner Roman Abramovich’s application for a UK Visa renewal has not yet been confirmed, and while sources close to him suggest his vested interest in Chelsea remains unaffected, his decision to put the £1billiion new stadium project on hold has done little to add clarity to a murky and mysterious story. For Courtois, who has never openly claimed to be unhappy at Stamford Bridge but hasn’t seemed entirely committed either, now is the time to push his agenda; contract talks have stopped, and it finally seems as though Chelsea are willing to talk about his departure.
When he arrived in 2011 as an 18-year-old from Genk, his signing was, by comparison to others before and after, very unusual for Abramovich’s short sighted, win-at-all-costs Chelsea. Usually, if a player is signed and not yet ready for the first team, they are put on the loan list, joining the growing number of players in a state of flux, waiting to be sold on for a profit with no real chance of making it in West London. In this case, though, Chelsea were extremely forward thinking; Abramovich hired Andre Villas-Boas, fresh from winning four trophies with FC Porto in his first full season as a manager, as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement and gave him the brief of ushering a new era into the club. Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, John Terry and Petr Cech, the long-standing “untouchables” from Jose Mourinho’s first stint in charge, seemed under threat.
Courtois was signed as the clear successor to Cech, and although Abramovich abandoned his new project months into it, having failed to see immediate results, and eventually re-hired Mourinho two years later, Chelsea’s faith in their young goalkeeper was absolute. Sure enough, after a three-year loan spell with Atletico Madrid, where he won the Europa League, Copa del Rey and La Liga, as well as losing a Champions League final, he returned to usurp Cech, the club’s number one for the previous eleven years.
Three years can be a lifetime in football; it is longer than any Chelsea manager has stayed in office since Mourinho left for the first time in 2007. Courtois, now 26, had settled in at Atletico, learnt the language, made friends and, crucially, met a girl. His now former partner still lives in Madrid with their two children, and during the interview where he first admitted Chelsea wasn’t necessarily the be all and end all for him; the biggest worry for fans was his claim that his family situation could dictate his thinking. The developments surrounding his contract have spelled it out; his time with the five-time Premier League champions is coming to an end.
Paris Saint-Germain have been credited with an interest, but signing Neymar for a world-record £198million last summer and having to splash a further £180million on Kylian Mbappe this, means UEFA and Financial Fair Play may rain on that particular parade. All things considered, Real Madrid are not just his best option, but his only option. Chelsea is not the only place where uncertainty engulfs, though; Perez and Los Blancos were surprised when Zinedine Zidane resigned just days after delivering a third successive Champions League crown. Managerial appointments have almost exclusively been separate to player signings under the current presidency at the Santiago Bernabeu; Perez has wanted a new goalkeeper for years, with only a faulty fax machine stopping David de Gea’s move from Manchester United in 2015. Zidane, who was afforded more of a say in these matters, always resisted that desire, backing Keylor Navas despite some high profile errors last season. With Zidane out of the picture, it could be full steam ahead as Perez targets Courtois.
It is a tough time for Chelsea; not just because of the Abramovich situation, or Conte’s future, but because they will be playing in the Europa League next season. Courtois will want to play at the highest level, as will Eden Hazard; but if the former does leave, replacing him will be crucial. Roma’s Alisson, who has been linked with Liverpool and is set to play for Brazil in Russia this summer, could be the answer. He showed why he has been Tite’s first choice, over Manchester City’s Ederson, in the Champions League this season; he was a huge reason why the Giallorossi didn’t concede a home goal in Europe until the semi final second leg against Liverpool, and his ability to command his box, which is Courtois’ main strength, would make a transition seamless.
Chelsea are at a crossroads; they face the biggest decision in terms of goalkeeping for 14 years. All the signs point to Courtois’ exit, and with question marks surrounding the manager and the owner, a quick resolution would be beneficial. Alisson is just one of the possible options, but he is the kind of replacement that would make selling Courtois worthwhile for all parties.
