Five goalkeepers who could replace Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea

After seven years as a Chelsea player, it looks like Thibaut Courtois’ time at Stamford Bridge is coming to an end. The Belgian appears to be closing in on a move to Real Madrid, and it will likely spell a big change at Chelsea.

Courtois initially joined Chelsea in 2011, before spending three years out on loan at Atletico Madrid. They were three successful years in Spain, during which he won La Liga, the Copa de Rey, the Europa League, as well as establishing himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe.

He returned to Chelsea in 2014, and was installed as the club’s number one, usurping Petr Cech. He continued being successful at Stamford Bridge, and won the Premier League title and League Cup in his first year as Chelsea’s ‘keeper.

The next year was a disappointing one for everyone involved with Chelsea, as they finished a disastrous season in tenth place. He played a key part as the Blues returned to the top of the table in 2017, and last season was part of the side who won the FA Cup, beating Manchester United in the final.

However there have always been rumours linking him with a move back to Spain, and in particular Real Madrid. Courtois’ children still live in Madrid, and Real have been on the lookout for a world-class goalkeeper since the departure of Iker Casillas to Porto in 2015.

If Courtois does leave, and that looks likely at this stage, then Chelsea will need to bring a goalkeeper in to replace him. Here are five men they could look to bring in to do that job.

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#1 Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City)

Schmeichel won the Premier League title with Leicester in 2016

It may be that Chelsea wish to go for a goalkeeper with Premier League experience, in which case, Schmeichel is probably their best bet. Schmeichel has done it the hard way in English football. Having started his career with Manchester City, he was forced to drop down to League Two with Notts County to play regular football, before a short spell with Leeds United led to him joining Leicester in 2011.

In his seven years with Leicester, it is fair to say he has stepped out of his father’s shadow. He was a major part of their historic title winning side in 2016, and had an excellent World Cup with Denmark. At 31, he should be at his peak as a goalkeeper, and with his four years of Premier League experience, would slot seamlessly into this Chelsea team. He isn’t quite the world-class ‘keeper that the fans may be hoping to sign, but there aren’t too many of those out there at the moment.

#2 Petr Cech (Arsenal)

Cech left Chelsea for Arsenal in 2015

Courtois has done well in recent years, but without doubt, Cech is Chelsea’s greatest goalkeeper in the Premier League era. He was part of Jose Mourinho’s first team who won the Premier League title in 2005 and 2006, and had won four titles by the time he left the club in 2015. He was also Chelsea’s hero in the 2012 Champions League final, saving Arjen Robben’s penalty in extra time, before saving from Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the penalty shootout, as the Blues became European champions for the first time.

Cech was moved on at Chelsea after being replaced by Courtois in the side, and now it could be roles reversed. He may be 36 now, but as we have seen with the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, goalkeepers remain at their best much longer than outfield players. He would only be a short-term option at Stamford Bridge, but he will be in familiar surroundings back at Chelsea if he returns, so there won’t be any risk of him failing to settle.

#3 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)

Oblak has made a name for himself at Atletico

If Chelsea are looking to sign the best goalkeeper available to them this summer, they will move for Oblak. He Is still just 25 years of age, and is already one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Since joining Atletico from Benfica, he has made 116 appearances in La Liga, and kept a quite extraordinary 68 clean sheets in that time.

If anything, Oblak would potentially be an upgrade on Courtois, and would be somewhat of a coup for the Blues if they were to bring him to Stamford Bridge. Because of that though, he won’t come cheap. He has a release clause of £87 million, so will become the most expensive goalkeeper of all time if he moves this summer, costing £20 million more than Alisson cost Liverpool.

#4 Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)

Donnarumma is seen as a long-term successor for Gianluigi Buffon

As Cech will only be a short-term option at Stamford Bridge, Donnarumma will be the long-term solution to the goalkeeping problem at Chelsea. He is still just 19, but has already made over 100 appearances in Serie A for AC Milan, and has won six caps for Italy. He has long been compared to Gianluigi Buffon, and is seen as his long term replacement on the international stage.

Donnarumma doesn’t have any experience in England football, and isn’t close to being at the top of his game. Signing him will represent a bit of a risk for Chelsea, because he may find it difficult to adapt to life in the Premier League. He will come at a price as well. Milan are looking to sell players to adhere to Financial Fair Play, but they probably won’t sell the teenager for any less than £50 million.

#5 Jasper Cillessen (Barcelona)

Cillessen has struggled to have an impact at Barcelona

Cillessen has pretty much been the forgotten man at Barcelona since his move there in 2016. He was a top performer for Ajax in the Eredivisie, and it led to him becoming Netherlands number one, and he was a key player for the Dutch as they finished third in Brazil.

He will have moved to the Camp Nou hoping to provide some competition for Marc-Andre Ter-Stegen. However, the German is pretty much the perfect goalkeeper for Barcelona given his ability on the ball, and Cillessen has appeared on just two occasions in La Liga. He probably wouldn’t cost more than £15 million if Chelsea were to make a move for him, and he would be a reliable option.