Chelsea will look to Stoke City’s Jack Butland if they fail to agree a new contract with current number one Thibaut Courtois, according to Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones.
The Potters are likely to demand a British transfer record for a goalkeeper, the newspaper reports, with the Premier League club valuing Butland ahead of Jordan Pickford who joined Everton for £30m in the summer.
The 24 year old was pursued by the Blues before he joined Stoke in 2013, but the difference this time is that the stopper would be purchased as the automatic first choice.
Chelsea’s pursuit of Butland however is dependent on Courtois. The Belgian international has just 19 months left on his contract and is reportedly holding out for £200,000 a week. Manager Antonio Conte has called on the club to make sure the 25 year old is given a new deal, but the keeper has many suitors abroad.
The Belgian has not hidden his desire to return to Madrid, and both Real and Atletico are said to be tracking the Blues star, along with Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea look like they have a fight on their hands to keep Courtois.
