Thibaut Courtois has dropped a bombshell on Chelsea by admitting that he is unsure if he will remain at the London club next season. However, the Belgian remains focussed on Chelsea’s current predicament this season and hopes to finish well, although that may not be enough to keep Courtois at the club.
In an interview with Belgian television network RTBF, Courtois was rather non-committal when asked if he would remain at Chelsea next season, saying “I don't know. I still have a contract for three years so we'll see what Chelsea want too.”
The Blues have endured one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory and have only recently made it to the top half of the table after hovering above the relegation spots for most of the season. Chelsea have also exited all cup competitions, most recently going out to PSG in the Champions League Round-of-16.
With Chelsea unlikely to participate in the UEFA Champions League next season, a goalkeeper of Courtois’ calibre is sure to be coveted by some of the biggest clubs in the world.
For his part, Courtois has a focus on finishing the rest of the season well, after recovering from knee surgery early in the season, saying “Until now I'd won a trophy every season. I tried to come back as strongly as possible [from the injury].”
“It's a pity that we're out of the FA Cup and the Champions League but I'm going to try to finish the season well and have a good European Championship with Belgium. Then we'll start a new season with a new manager [at Chelsea] with the hope of doing a lot better than this year.”
In the same interview, Courtois had also made the revealing statement that Chelsea were right to sack Jose Mourinho, saying “We needed a change of manager at that point - I have no doubts about it. We drew too many matches and we have also conceded goals too easily. I could have done better with some of them.”
With the Belgian making noises indicating an exit from the London club, Chelsea have reportedly placed a staggering 73 million price on his head, with a view to thwarting off potential suitors such as La Liga giants Real Madrid. Given Courtois' age and undoubted quality, the clubs chasing his signature might not even be daunted by paying such a huge amount for a goalkeeper.
