The message was published on Chelsea’s website last night. It was a brief missive from the Blues but it finally brought months of speculation to an end.
“We have tonight agreed terms with Real Madrid for the transfer of Thibaut Courtois, subject to the agreement of personal terms and passing a medical,” ran the statement. “Subject to the completion of the deal Mateo Kovacic will join the Blues on a season-long loan.”
According to the Daily Mail, Courtois joins the Spanish giants on a six-year deal, with the Blues banking £35m for the Belgian goalkeeper. The paper says that he will complete his medical this morning and be presented at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium at midday UK time.
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Gone AWOL
The move spares blushes all round after the 26-year-old had, in the words of the Mail, “gone AWOL from Chelsea” as he tried to force his dream move to Madrid. In response the Blues had opened disciplinary proceedings against Courtois and were ready to dock him two weeks’ wages, worth an estimated £200,000.
That won’t now be necessary as his stay at Stamford Bridge comes to an end. Instead Courtois will join his family in the Spanish capital and challenge Keylor Navas for the No.1 jersey.
That might not be as straightforward as Courtois thinks, with Goal.com reporting that the Costa Rica international is determined to fight for his place in the side.
“Of course, and I say this with force, I have the same desire to leave that I have to die,” Navas told the Onda Cero radio station, when asked about the possibility he may move on.
‘Close to my kids’
The Daily Mirror says that Courtois posted a message to Chelsea fans on social media in which he thanked them for their support over the years and said he hoped “you understand that being closer to my kids was considerable in my decision”. The Facebook post was subsequently deleted.
Record fee
As well as taking Croatian midfielder Kovacic on loan for the season as part of the deal, Chelsea have also completed the record signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao.
The Sun reports that he has cost Chelsea £71.6m, an unprecedented sum for a goalkeeper, beating the £67m that Liverpool paid Roma last month for Alisson.
Speaking to the Chelsea website, the 23-year-old Arrizabalaga said: “It’s a very important decision for me, for my career, and also for my personal life.
“So many things attracted me to the club, all the titles the club has won, the other players, the city, the English Premier League… I am very glad Chelsea has decided to trust me and to take me in as well.”
