Sports
Thibaut Courtois goes AWOL from Chelsea training as keeper attempts to force through Blues exit
Thibaut Courtois has stepped up his bid to force through his Chelsea exit by going AWOL.
Goalkeeper Courtois failed to return to the club on Monday following his summer break.
Courtois was due back at Chelsea’s Cobham base after his World Cup exploits with Belgium, along with the other Chelsea stars involved until the final weekend in Russia.
New boss Maurizio Sarri was also hoping to meet Courtois for the first time and hold face-to-face talks over his future.
Courtois is aiming to force a Stamford Bridge exit (Image: (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images))
Instead, a picture of Courtois visiting a supermarket in Tenerife was posted yesterday when he should have been attending initial tests ahead of his return to full training.
It followed his no-show at Sunday’s Community Shield against Manchester City.
With no explanation for his absence he is on a collision course with Chelsea chiefs and underlines his determination to seal a move to Real Madrid.
The episode leaves Chelsea facing a repeat of the Diego Costa saga last summer when he refused to return to the club before he was eventually sold back to Atletico Madrid.
Courtois wants to go back to Madrid, the city where his two children live and he previously played with Atletico Madrid.
He has a year left on his Blues contract and has already indicated to the club that he wants to go this summer and, if he doesn’t, he will leave on a free next summer and not for a cut-price fee in January.
Courtois has also agreed terms with Madrid for either eventuality. Madrid have time to tie up a deal for Courtois with the Spanish transfer window open until the end of the month.
But the 26 year-old’s hopes of leaving Stamford Bridge hinge on Chelsea securing a replacement before the deadline in England passes at 5pm on Thursday.
After previous first choice Alisson Becker’s move to Liverpool from Roma, Stoke’s Jack Butland is next in line.
But time is running out to get that deal done as Stoke would want to sign a replacement for £30m-rated Butland having already passed up the chance to sign other goalkeeper’s during the summer.
Chelsea were quoted £70 million by Everton for England keeper Jordan Pickford while Pepe Reina, who only joined AC Milan this summer on a free, is another option.
Reina, the former Liverpool No.1, played under Sarri at Napoli and Milan would sell for a fee of between £6m.
While Chelsea were in Community Shield action on Sunday he was being honoured by his former club Genk back in his homeland.
When he was asked about his future he said: “I’m not going to comment. It’s all delicate. I’m relaxed at the moment.”
