#2 Thibaut Courtois
Considered as one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers alongside de Gea and Lloris, Belgium’s Thibault Courtois is coming off another massively successful season with Chelsea, where he won the Premier League for the second time.
Courtois was a key component of the title win, as he kept 16 clean sheets – more than Lloris and de Gea – and helped to shore up a defence that took manager Antonio Conte a relatively long time to get settled. While he’d be tougher to sign than Lloris given Chelsea’s financial situation, he probably wouldn’t cost as much as de Gea, and he also has a lot of other plus points.
At just 25 he’s almost guaranteed to be around the top of the game for another decade at least, and yet he’s already gained vital experience, both with Belgium at an international level but more importantly at club level. While he’s only been Chelsea’s #1 for three seasons, prior to that he spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid, where he really made a name for himself, particularly as part of their Champions League side that reached the finals in 2013-14.
With previous experience – and success – in La Liga, and a lower price tag than de Gea, surely it makes more sense for Los Blancos to make a move for Courtois instead.
