Thibaut Courtois looks set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer after informing Chelsea he refuses to put pen to paper on a new contract.
The Belgian goalkeeper, who joined the Blues back in 2011, has been on international duty this summer with Belgium at the World Cup, where his inspired performances between the sticks earned him the Golden Glove award.
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However, as the new club season approaches Courtois is said to have made it clear to Chelsea that if they don’t sell him now he’ll leave on a free when his contract expires in a year’s time, according to the Sun.
This is a big blow as the 26-year-old has been consistently one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last few years and won two Premier League titles during his time at Chelsea.
However, having spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid when he first joined the club, ever since he has been linked with a return to the Spanish capital at some point, due to the fact his family still lives there.
According to The Sun, Chelsea are reluctant to sell the Belgian keeper this summer, which means he would be available to leave on a free transfer next year upon the expiration of his current contract.
The Sun also states that the club values him at £35million which would be fair reimbursement for the player if he were to leave during the current transfer window, which could also provide manager Maurizio Sarri with the funds to find a suitable replacement.
With just over a week to go in the transfer window, it could be that Courtois gets himself an imminent move away from west London, leaving the Blues with little time to replace him.