Real Madrid agrees with Chelsea FC to sign goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Yesterday, English football club Chelsea FC announced reaching an agreement with Spanish-capital club Real Madrid to transfer Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to Madrid. Real Madrid via their official website said Courtois "has signed for the club for the next six seasons."
26-year-old Courtois has been Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper for the last four seasons. He joined The Blues in 2011 from Belgian club K.R.C. Genk. In the last four seasons at Chelsea, Courtois won Premier League titles in 2014–15 and 2016–17, an EFL Cup in 2014–15, and the FA Cup in the last season. In his 2016–17 season for Chelsea, the Belgian kept sixteen clean-sheets in league matches.
Just after joining Chelsea in 2011, Courtois was loaned to Real Madrid's cross-town rivals Atlético Madrid. During this previous spell in Spain, Courtois won one each of the Spanish LaLiga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup. Courtois won the Adidas Golden Glove in this year's FIFA World Cup in Russia, winning the third-place medal with Belgium.
According to report by ESPN, Real Madrid had to pay about £35 million for the transfer. At the same time, Real Madrid's midfielder Mateo Kovačić is loaned to Chelsea for the next season. In Real Madrid's official announcement, they said Courtois is to be presented at Santiago Bernabeu today at 1 pm after his medical examination.
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- "France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2018 FIFA World Cup" — Wikinews, July 16, 2018
Sources
- "Official announcement: Thibaut Courtois" — Real Madrid, August 8, 2018
- "Courtois, new Real Madrid player" — Real Madrid, August 8, 2018
- "Thibaut Courtois: Chelsea agree deal with Real Madrid, Mateo Kovacic to go other way" — BBC Sport, August 8, 2018
- "Courtois and Kovacic deals agreed" — Chelsea FC, August 8, 2018
- Liam Twomey. "Chelsea and Real Madrid agree fee for transfer of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois" — ESPN FC, August 8, 2018
- Ryan O'Callagan. "Chelsea agree to sell Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid" — SkySports, August 8, 2018