Thibaut Courtois confirms new Chelsea deal is close and backs Eden Hazard to follow his lead
The Belgian goalkeeper has 18-months remaining on his £100,000 per week contract but is set for a bumper pay rise with negotiations ongoing
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Your support makes all the difference.Thibaut Courtois has confirmed a deal to stay at Chelsea is close and he hopes teammate Eden Hazard will join him in committing his future to the club.
The Belgian goalkeeper has 18-months remaining on his £100,000 per week contract but is set for a bumper pay rise with negotiations ongoing over fresh terms at Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid continue to monitor the situation and, as reported by The Independent last month, now prefer him to Manchester United's David de Gea, a long-term transfer target of the Spanish giants.
But Courtois says his only focus is Chelsea with a contract extension now expected sooner rather than later.
“It has just turned the new year, so we will wait a few weeks and then sit around the table. I'm happy at Chelsea and a deal is close," he said after the 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates. "Has it been a distraction? Not for me. I'm just calm and relaxed because I'm tied to Chelsea. Despite the rumours and everything, I am focused on Chelsea and I'm happy here.
"Do Eden and I encourage each other to sign? Yes. He will say 'if you sign, I will sign' and I say the same to him!
"I think we are both happy at Chelsea, we both have a good part to play. We have been champions twice in the four seasons I have been here and can have our peak years together at Chelsea."
Fellow Belgian Hazard has more than two years left on his current deal but the club are eager to tie him down ahead of this summer's World Cup.
Courtois says Hazard is keen to sign too and thinks it's imperative he does so.
"Losing a player like Eden would be bad for us, the club. Eden is irreplaceable," he added. "With the money he will raise, you can buy five players but none of them will be like Eden. It would be like Barcelona losing Lionel Messi or Real Madrid losing Cristiano Ronaldo.
"If you excel, there will always be teams interested in signing the biggest players. But that's why if Chelsea have ambition to be the best club in the world, these kind of players have to stay.
"I think it is important that we keep on playing for first spot (in the League) and as well as that, a big one for me is that we can win the Champions League as well."
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