All the speculations have come to an end, as Real Madrid have signed Thibaut Courtois on a six-year deal, while Mateo Kovacic joins Chelsea on a season-long loan.
Real Madrid and Chelsea have successfully completed the transfers of Courtois and Kovacic.
Thibaut Courtois’ deal is believed to be worth around £35m with Kovacic joining the Blues as part of the agreement. Both of the players have successfully passed their medicals and got presented on Thursday.
However, Thibaut Courtois had spent seven years at Chelsea. Though the goalkeeper had been on-loan at Real Madrid rivals, Atletico Madrid in the past. Also, Courtois had won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Moreover, on the other hand, after playing in Serie A and La Liga, Kovacic is all set to get the taste of the Premier League. According to reports, Real Madrid didn’t want to sell Kovacic, but somehow Chelsea negotiated to pull off the deal.
However, Real couldn’t add a buy-back clause in the deal, meaning Kovacic has to go back to Real Madrid after one year.
After joining the Blues, the Croatian midfielder said in the press conference,
“I am really happy and excited to be here at Chelsea. It is an amazing feeling. I will try to do my best for this club. It is a new league for me. The beginning is always tough. But I am sure the coach and my new team-mates will help me, and I am looking forward to a great season.”
Meanwhile, Marina Granovskaia, the director of Chelsea revealed Kovacic is the kind of player Maurizio Sarri wanted.
“We are very happy to welcome Mateo to the Chelsea family. He is a perfect fit for us this season. His style is well suited to how Maurizio wants to play, and we are sure he will prove to be a valuable asset for the club.”
Kovacic played five games during Croatia’s run to the FIFA World Cup final. On the other hand, Courtois was awarded the Golden Glove for his amazing performance in the World Cup in Russia.