Chelsea Have Already Identified A Shocking Replacement For Courtois
Dec 26, 2016 at 11:53 AM
With reports continuing to circulate around the possibility of Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois being hijacked by Real Madrid, Antonio Conte seem to have lined up a replacement if necessary.
The Belgium international has so far had just eleven strikes hit the back of his net in the Premier League this term and is rightly deemed by some as the number one goalkeeper in England at present.
With Real Madrid sniffing about there is a very real possibility that he could leave though. Aged just 24, he may harbour ambitions of playing in other leagues before hanging up his gloves and this would likely be the biggest of his career should he choose to go in the summer.
This will be a constant worry for the Chelsea faithful between now and the end of the season, and this news has not been made much better by reports emerging on Sunday about who could potentially be filling his boots.
According to the Sunday Express, Joe Hart of Manchester City (currently on loan at Torino) would be the club’s first choice target if Courtois in fact leaves.
This is hardly expected to be music to the ears of most Chelsea fans with Hart having had a woeful Euros with England during the summer. Following this knock to his confidence, Hart was loaned out to Torino with City boss Pep Guardiola unimpressed by the Englishman.
While a case can still be made for the 29-year-old being a solid addition to the Pensioners, his dented confidence and poor performances over the past six to nine months in England cannot be excused.
There is still a huge chunk of the season left to play and if Chelsea can win the title it might just be another reason for Courtois to stay and not be forced to sign a replacement below his level.
In the meantime, Chelsea may want to keep in mind some other targets when it comes to their goalkeeping department.