🇧🇪 Thibaut Courtois

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

I don't think you can win the biggest prizes without having a solid keeper in your team.

Just look at the last 10 UCL winners...every team had a solid and/or top-class #1 keeper.

I don't think Valdes has ever been a great keeper. He's been right for Barcelona because he can move the ball well, but on a team like Chelsea, he would have been only OK.

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

Belgian media report that Chelsea put a price on Courtois: €24 mil.

Told you so, he's a goner.

[Anoop Nino Ktbffh 1]

Mourinho says we have the best goalkeeper in the world in Petr Cech and the best young goalkeeper in the world in Thibaut Courtois.

Jose Mourinho on Thibaut Courtois: "We control the situation. Not Atletico. Not Barcelona"

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

Sure, he's still gone.

[Weckerz 3,781]

Sure, he's still gone.

You'd like that wouldn't you

[bushman 2,043]

Mourinho says we have the best goalkeeper in the world in Petr Cech and the best young goalkeeper in the world in Thibaut Courtois.

Jose Mourinho on Thibaut Courtois: "We control the situation. Not Atletico. Not Barcelona"

May I ask, how does Jose controls the situation ?

Is he going to bring him to Chelsea next year & him or Cech will sit on the bench or is he going to loan him out again ?

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

You'd like that wouldn't you

As a Belgian I'd prefer him to be first keeper at Barca rather than struggle for a spot with Cech, who is equally great, yes. Is that a crime?

The fact Chelsea put an actual price tag on his head (and 24 mil is not an impossible price) tells me they're at least considering his departure.

This is what Courtois says in the same article: 'I feel great in Spain and I would like to stay here. I prefer the Primera Division to the Premier League. I'm not planning on warming the bench anywhere, even if it's at Chelsea. Becoming first choice for Barcelona is an opportunity no one would refuse.'

Seems pretty clear to me.

Chelsea and Mourinho are the ones deciding where he'll go next year, but tell me, how many clubs kept a player wanted by practically the entire world, while they couldn't even guarantee hem a spot in the team? Man Utd couldn't keep Ronaldo when he wanted to leave, Milan couldn't keep Kaka, Arsenal couldn't keep anyone. The options are either making a clear choice or destroying a lot of player value by keeping an unhappy talent.

[The Skipper 20,609]

The fact Chelsea put an actual price tag on his head (and 24 mil is not an impossible price) tells me they're at least considering his departure.

Sorry, has anyone from CFC come out and said, "we want 'x' much for Courtois"? You're making things up.

[bushman 2,043]

As a Belgian I'd prefer him to be first keeper at Barca rather than struggle for a spot with Cech, who is equally great, yes. Is that a crime?

The fact Chelsea put an actual price tag on his head (and 24 mil is not an impossible price) tells me they're at least considering his departure.

This is what Courtois says in the same article: 'I feel great in Spain and I would like to stay here. I prefer the Primera Division to the Premier League. I'm not planning on warming the bench anywhere, even if it's at Chelsea. Becoming first choice for Barcelona is an opportunity no one would refuse.'

Seems pretty clear to me.

Chelsea and Mourinho are the ones deciding where he'll go next year, but tell me, how many clubs kept a player wanted by practically the entire world, while they couldn't even guarantee hem a spot in the team? Man Utd couldn't keep Ronaldo when he wanted to leave, Milan couldn't keep Kaka, Arsenal couldn't keep anyone. The options are either making a clear choice or destroying a lot of player value by keeping an unhappy talent.

Personally, I believe you are very clear on the whole matter.

24m price is telling me, pay us 24m & Courtois is yours.

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

Sorry, has anyone from CFC come out and said, "we want 'x' much for Courtois"? You're making things up.

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/sportwereld/cnt/dmf20131018_035

The newspapers might be making things up. I'm just readin'. ,-)

In the 'we are in control' article Mourinho also says:

'We could also make a good financial deal, because both goalies are very valuable'.

Read between the lines.

[sutro 1,026]

Mourinho says we have the best goalkeeper in the world in Petr Cech and the best young goalkeeper in the world in Thibaut Courtois.

Jose Mourinho on Thibaut Courtois: "We control the situation. Not Atletico. Not Barcelona"

Thats not true, if he had a contract for 4-5 years then i would agree, but since he only have 2 years left courtois has alot to say about his future, if he rufuse to sign a new contract we have to let him go for free, i quess some serious talking has to be done soon

I would love it if he stay's here at chelsea but we still got a worldclass keeper aswell

[Weckerz 3,781]

As a Belgian I'd prefer him to be first keeper at Barca rather than struggle for a spot with Cech, who is equally great, yes. Is that a crime?

The fact Chelsea put an actual price tag on his head (and 24 mil is not an impossible price) tells me they're at least considering his departure.

This is what Courtois says in the same article: 'I feel great in Spain and I would like to stay here. I prefer the Primera Division to the Premier League. I'm not planning on warming the bench anywhere, even if it's at Chelsea. Becoming first choice for Barcelona is an opportunity no one would refuse.'

Seems pretty clear to me.

Chelsea and Mourinho are the ones deciding where he'll go next year, but tell me, how many clubs kept a player wanted by practically the entire world, while they couldn't even guarantee hem a spot in the team? Man Utd couldn't keep Ronaldo when he wanted to leave, Milan couldn't keep Kaka, Arsenal couldn't keep anyone. The options are either making a clear choice or destroying a lot of player value by keeping an unhappy talent.

No, it's not a crime.. just post this stuff on neutral football boards instead. It's obvious you want the best for Belgian players; I don't think you care about Chelsea much

[bushman 2,043]

No, it's not a crime.. just post this stuff on neutral football boards instead. It's obvious you want the best for Belgian players; I don't think you care about Chelsea much

Excuse me, where do you read he does not care about Chelsea ?

Please, take your time though.

[Tomo 21,751]

Also, quarterback is easily the most important and difficult position to find in the NFL while keeper is the least important and easiest to find in football. (I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but teams can win with poor keepers and great defences can make mediocre keepers look great.).

That wasn't the case with Ross Turnbull, poor keepers will instinctively make the defense more cautious knowing their is an error in the keeper.

Also keepers that are good behind poor defenses and usually not as good when they have a good defense, Shay Given the perfect example.

[sutro 1,026]

Hmmm so many reports about that 24 mil pricetag chelsea putted on his head now.

Could be true and would mean that chelsea decided to keep cech for the upcoming years.

Makes perfectly sense to me to be fair, cech is a chelsea legend and still worldclass, he also got atleast 5 years in him

Some sources also reported that barca asked atletico to not bid for courtois and barca would loan/sell players to them

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

I'm not using foul language and I'm not insulting anybody. It's a free world.

I've been following the Premier league since I was a kid and I was obviously excited when a lot of Belgian players started playing in England.

I'll support any team that plays them and any team that plays the football I like. This does not mean criticism is forbidden.

To get back to the club, I was a huge fan of the Chelsea that won the Uefa Cup in '98, and later of the Hasselbaink Chelsea. The Abramovic Chelsea is somewhat harder to like for neutral, not London based fans (especially in the early years) but I have no negative feelings toward them since they had some of my favorite players in the past. Always been more of a player than a team fan outside of Belgium.

But thanks for asking! ;-)

[Weckerz 3,781]

I'm not using foul language and I'm not insulting anybody. It's a free world.

I've been following the Premier league since I was a kid and I was obviously excited when a lot of Belgian players started playing in England.

I'll support any team that plays them and any team that plays the football I like. This does not mean criticism is forbidden.

To get back to the club, I was a huge fan of the Chelsea that won the Uefa Cup in '98, and later of the Hasselbaink Chelsea. The Abramovic Chelsea is somewhat harder to like for neutral, not London based fans (especially in the early years) but I have no negative feelings toward them since they had some of my favorite players in the past. Always been more of a player than a team fan outside of Belgium.

But thanks for asking! ;-)

Fair enough

[meetdoscar 335]

Every player has a price.

[Pizy 18,908]

So after hearing Mourinho speak at today's presser I have to say that it doesn't sound like Cech is going anywhere anytime soon.

Which means Courtois likely will be. Can't see any way we'll just extend his contract and keep him at Athletico for another 5 years. Can't see him wanting that either.

Even yesterday I said in here that there was no way we'd sell him, but after hearing Jose gush about Cech and call him the best in the world I think that if Barca offered something insane like 30m we'd sell him there.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

The fact Chelsea put an actual price tag on his head (and 24 mil is not an impossible price) tells me they're at least considering his departure.

No, that's not a fact, that's just a rumor which you are building a lot of your assumptions on. There are thousands of rumors going around papers in Europe every week and I reckon less than 5% end up being true.

Chelsea control the situation with Thibaut. If we want him to stay then he's stay at least till his contract is up. If we want him sold then he'll go to the team that we want to sell him to when we want to.