Courtois to be highest paid keeper in the world

Chelsea have offered Thibaut Courtois a new
contract worth more than £200,000 a week.
The deal on offer at Stamford Bridge, which
includes bonuses, will see him overtake
Manchester United’s David de Gea as the world’s
highest-paid goalkeeper.
And Chelsea are growing increasingly optimistic
the 25-year-old will sign the new contract despite
interest from Real Madrid.
According to The Telegraph, the Belgian’s current
£100,000-a-week deal, which runs out at the end
of next season, will be extended until 2023.
The Blues have made Courtois’ future their
priority and have cooled interest in Stoke City
shot-stopper Jack Butland.
Courtois has been a long-term target of Real
Madrid but the Spaniards appear increasingly
likely to sign Athletic Bilbao keeper Kepa
Arrizabalaga in January.
Sportsmail revealed last month that the La Liga
club were looking at three goalkeepers, with Kepa
going head-to-head with Premier League targets
De Gea and Courtois.
But Kepa, who was left out of the Basque derby
with Real Sociedad at the weekend with a foot
injury, is close to agreeing a move to Madrid and
President Florentino Perez would then be unlikely
to invest more in the position in the summer.
It is understood Courtois, who spent three
seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid, is keen on
eventually returning to Spain.
However with Real now focusing their attention
elsewhere, the former Genk keeper now looks set
to stay in west London.
And he recently suggested he is prepared to do
so, despite missing his two young children who
live in Spain.
He said: ‘I love my children to death. When you
miss them, you are sometimes wondering —
shouldn’t I play in Spain in the next few years?
That’s why I want to take time to decide how
many years I want to sign up. When I sign, I want
to tell Chelsea that I have been here for so many
years because I am happy here.
‘I like playing here, it’s a nice city, but of course
I’m thinking about my private situation. I do not
see any reason why I shouldn’t sign, but I just
want to take my time with everything. I think I
will have an agreement with Chelsea before the
season ends.’