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With Thibaut Courtois failing to report for training on Monday at when due for Chelsea, that was a clear signal to the board that his heart is set on a transfer out of the club. With Real Madrid looking increasingly likely to be his next destination in a £30m move, and with one year left on the Belgian's contract, it is in Chelsea's best interest to sell him now rather than lose him on a free next summer.
Also read: Reports: Chelsea superstar skips training amidst Real Madrid speculation
There are just two days left until the transfer window closes in England on Thursday, and Chelsea risk not having a replacement if Courtois leaves after the transfer deadline (as other European clubs can still buy EPL players until the 31st of August).
There are reports indicating that The Blues have identified Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid as their primary replacement target, and are set to trigger his release clause of £89m, which would be the record deal for a goalkeeper if the transfer goes ahead, significantly larger than the £67m Liverpool expended to get Alisson Becker from Roma.
Signed as Thibaut Courtois' replacement in 2014, there is no doubt that Jan Oblak is one of the finest goalkeepers in Europe, having distinguished himself over the last four seasons with Atletico Madrid and is arguably an upgrade on the error-prone Belgian.
However, the new contract he signed at Atletico Madrid in February skyrocketed his transfer value, as the La Liga club increased his release clause to get as much money in the event of the sale of one of the most in-demand goalies in the world.
Chelsea are no longer the spendthrifts they once were in the transfer market during the early years of Abramovic's reign, as the club's new financial structure means there is a paucity of funds available for transfers. So spending £87m on one goalkeeper doesn't represent good value for money (despite Oblak's undisputed brilliance), as the club would need to get one or two other players before the close of the transfer window on evidence of their performance in the Community Shield on Sunday.
In a bid to save cost and invest the money in other players, here are four cheaper but quality alternatives to Jan Oblak The Blues should consider as Thibaut Courtois' potential replacement.
Source of values: Transfermarkt.com
#4 Keylor Navas from Real Madrid (€18m)
Keylor Navas has had a trophy-filled career at Real Madrid since his transfer to the Bernabeu from Levante in 2014. You have to feel sorry for him however despite all the successes he has achieved in the Spanish capital club, as his performances have largely gone unappreciated.
Although he is prone to the occasional gaffe (as Thibaut Courtois himself and most other quality goalkeepers are), he is not as bad as Real Madrid have made him out to be. Despite being a mainstay in all the club's successes in recent seasons, Navas had always found his future up in debate as the club went all out for the purchase of David de Gea, and the 31-year-old was infamously at the airport on August 31 for a flight to Manchester having been used as a make-weight in the deal to bring De Gea to Spain, before the fax-enabled collapse of the deal.
No sooner had the interest in De Gea died off and Navas almost guaranteed about his future did the rumours about Courtois begin to surface, and the Costa Rican has his first choice spot at Real Madrid threatened once more.
If Real Madrid do purchase Thibaut Courtois, it would make a lot of sense for Chelsea to sign Keylor Navas as his replacement, possibly in a straight swap deal.
With him, they will be bringing in a quality goalkeeper with a winning mentality, having won all major domestic and European trophies in recent seasons, and with 83 caps for Los Ticos of Costa Rica, he is an experienced international and a much cheaper alternative to Jan Oblak.
#3 Pepe Reina (€1m)
Given that the Spaniard would be 36 on August 31, he should only represent a short-term fix, if Chelsea do not get a replacement before Thursday. It is, however, an unlikely probability given that he only just arrived at AC Milan on a free transfer from Napoli.
If he comes to Chelsea, the World Cup winner would be reunited with Maurizio Sarri, having worked with the Italian for three seasons at San Paolo between 2015 and 2018.
With vast appearances made across Europe, Pepe Reina would bring experience into the Chelsea dressing room, and make the transition to Sarri's methods easier due to their previous working experience. He also brings an added advantage of having Premier League experience, with almost 400 league appearances made for Liverpool, where he won numerous personal accolades, including three consecutive Golden Glove awards between 2005 and 2008.
#2 Jasper Cillessen (€18m)
A top quality goalkeeper finding playing time difficult to come by, and a much cheaper alternative for Chelsea to consider in place of Jan Oblak.
Despite being a regular international with over 40 caps for the Netherlands, Jasper Cillessen has made just two appearances in La Liga for Barcelona (one in each season) since his 2016 transfer from Ajax in the Eredivisie, as Andre Ter Stegen is the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper at Nou Camp.
The 29-year-old is good with the ball at his feet and possesses sharp reflexes (requirements for the modern keeper), and has won numerous titles across Netherlands and Spain. Cillessen is a fantastic goalie who would fit right into Sarri's system, and at €18m, he is a good value alternative to Jan Oblak.
#1 Jack Butland (€22m)
The best bet for Chelsea. At 25, Jack Butland is still very young and has a lot of football at the top level for many years to offer.
He has a steady rising profile as one of the best young goalkeepers in England, having distinguished himself over the last two seasons with Stoke City in the Premier League since he established himself as the club's number one, and was the youngest goalkeeper to play for England in history when he made his debut for the Three Lions in 2012.
Owing to his impressive performances, Butland was called up to the 2018 World Cup squad despite suffering relegation with Stoke City, and for the sake of his international future would be keen to return to the Premier League, as competition to be the first choice England goalkeeper is stiff.
Although his Championship manager Paul Lambert suggested that Butland is worth more than Jordan Pickford, and he will leave the Bet 365 stadium only if £70m is brought for his services. However, with Stoke City playing in the Championship, they have few playing cards, and if really interested, Chelsea could sign him for considerably less, and given how good he is, for the amount he could potentially be available for, Chelsea should do all they can to sign him before the Thursday deadline.
