Former Belgium assistant coach Graeme Jones has claimed Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will quit Stamford Bridge before the summer transfer window shuts.
Real Madrid have reportedly been chasing Courtois’ signature for most of the summer, with the 26-year-old keen on returning to Spain’s capital after featuring for rivals Atletico.
Courtois won the Golden Glove at the 2018 World Cup after a string of top displays between the sticks as Belgium reached the last four of the tournament for the first time in 32 years.
“He’s got under a year left [on his contract] now, and I can only see him moving if I’m being honest,” Jones told TalkSport,
“He’s obviously won the Golden Glove at the World Cup, and he had a fantastic tournament.
“I think he’ll move on.”
OPINION
It will be a big surprise if Thibaut Courtois remains at Stamford Bridge when the transfer window closes as the Belgian looks almost certain for a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. The shot stopper has become a firm number one choice during his seven years at Chelsea, which involved an important loan deal spanning three years at Atletico Madrid. Courtois has won two Premier League titles as well as the FA and League Cup during an impressive period at Stamford Bridge but it seems inevitable that he is ready to move onto bigger and better things in terms of winning European trophies, with the Belgian international yet to win the Champions League after losing the 2014 final with Atletico to Spanish rivals Real Madrid in extra time. Courtois endured a memorable tournament in Russia this summer, keeping clean sheets as Belgium finished third, their highest ever finish at a World Cup.