Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois wants to hold talks with the club in relation to his future before this summer’s World Cup.
The 21-year-old joined the Blues in January 2011 before going back on loan to his former club Genk for the remainder of that season and is now in his third year on-loan at La Liga club Atletico Madrid.
He signed for Chelsea as an unknown with a bright future and has since become a household name for his performances in La Liga and European competitions over the last few years.
The hierarchy at Stamford Bridge want the keeper to sign an extension on his current deal but he is a man in demand that has attracted the attentions of La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, so he is keen to discuss his future with a club that rates Petr Cech as their number one choice for the foreseeable future.
Courtois – named Spanish goalkeeper of the year – does not want to go into the World Cup with this situation hanging over his head.
The Belgian international admitted:
“I don’t know where I’ll be playing next season.”
He added:
“In a short time I will discuss my future with Chelsea and I want to know their plans. After those discussions, I will decide what will be the best option for me.
“I don’t want to wait too long, it’s not good to begin a World Cup while you’re thinking about transfers. I don’t want to wait until May or June.
“I’m not worried at this moment and I hope I wont be worried at all in the next months.”
It’s a tricky situation for Chelsea as Cech is still performing well and there is no reason to oust him for someone else at this time and would prefer to either let Courtois fight for the spot or loan him out somewhere else next season, but that may not be a possibility as the player will be more than aware that two of the biggest clubs in world football are after him.
He’s probably the best young keeper in the world at the moment and in the long-term it could really hurt Chelsea if they lost him to another club – it represents a real dilemma for the coaching staff at the West London club and it is difficult to judge which way they are going to go.
