Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is apparently demanding a salary of £205,000-a-week
It’s said he wants that demand met before he will sign a new contract, according to Belgian newspaper HLN.
The Belgium international is reportedly seeking the same wage as Manchester United counterpart David De Gea.
Courtois and De Gea are the Premier League’s top goalkeepers, and the Chelsea star seems to want his new deal to acknowledge that fact.
A £205,000-a-week deal would see the 25-year-old double what his current pay check is.
However, he is driving a hard bargain in the knowledge that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus will all be in the market for new keepers over the next season-and-a-half.
Speaking on Wednesday, Courtois said he was happy to wait until next summer before resuming talks with the Premier League champions over a contract extension. By that stage, he will be entering the final 12 months of his current deal, which is due to expire in June 2019.
The proximity to the end of his deal and the prospect of Chelsea losing him on a free transfer will only strengthen Courtois’ negotiating position.
Speaking in his post-match press conference yesterday, head coach Antonio Conte urged the club to try to solve Courtois’ contract standoff.
He said: “I must be honest, I think that this question is for the club, not for me.
“I like to give my opinion about technical decisions. It is important for the club to face this issue, to face this contract with Courtois. For sure I can tell that Courtois is one of the best, maybe the best goalkeeper in the world, and he is a player who is very important for Chelsea. I can tell this. But for sure the renewal is a task for the club.
“If a big player decides to not sign a new contract it is difficult for a club to try to avoid this issue.
“But at the same time I think there is space to try to deal with the issue and try to solve the situation.”
