Chelsea must protect Thibaut Courtois from the predations of Atletico Madrid
By George Perry
Chelsea must go on contract extension offence to protect Thibaut Courtois from the always alluring temptations of Atletico Madrid. The Blues need to lock down Courtois before anything can happen with Atletico’s increasingly valuable goalkeeper, Jan Oblak.
Chelsea were humiliated in the summer transfer window en route to a positive outcome. Manchester United and Mino Raiola made Chelsea look like transfer amateurs (sadly not for the first time, and sadly not for the last) in the chain of events resulting in Romelu Lukaku landing at Old Trafford. The embarrassment was worse than the business, as Alvaro Morata better suits Antonio Conte’s side, and it is difficult to imagine Lukaku and Morata peacefully – or at least productively – co-existing.
The next time Chelsea get played so thoroughly, though, they may not come out ahead. Chelsea could be the odd-man-out if goalkeepers and money start flowing between Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Paris Saint-Germain could complete their humiliation of Financial Fair Play by meeting Atletico Madrid’s £89 million release clause for goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Oblak’s showing against the Blues in last week’s 1-1 Champions League draw was world-class, reminiscent of David de Gea’s recent 14-save performance. Oblak showed reactions, positioning and marshaling that mark him as a successor to de Gea and Manuel Neuer in the world’s ranks. And far from being an extraordinary performance under the Champions League floodlights, this was just a pristine example of Oblak’s regular quality and ability.
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Oblak will soon command a world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper, and may someday be an overall world-record transfer. Paris Saint-Germain could lay down that marker next summer.
PSG are not the type to low-ball and Atletico Madrid are not in a position to say no to a PSG offer. They will likely spend unusually heavily in January to make up for their transfer ban over the summer. Atletico have an aging core that needs turnover and youth. They must start building for the future while they still have Antoine Griezmann, Saul, Koke and, and Diego Godin in the side. Oblak’s sale could fully cover two established early- to mid-career players, or four or more “proven prospects” (think Nathaniel Chalobah or Nathan Ake).
Most importantly for Chelsea, Oblak’s fee would be more than enough for Atletico Madrid to cover a long-standing transfer target: Thibaut Courtois. If Atletico make a serious offer, Courtois will push Chelsea to accept it. If Chelsea refuse, they will have another Diego Costa situation on their hands. If they accept, they will be in the pyrrhic situation of having enough money to buy nearly any player they would want except the one they need. No amount of money will bring David de Gea, Manuel Neuer or – after all these machinations come to pass – Jan Oblak to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will look at their transfer balance sheet and the Premier League table, and see how the two can move in opposite directions.
Courtois is – annoyingly, for some – indispensable and essential to Chelsea’s ambitions over the next few years. Jan Oblak is Thibaut Courtois’ peer in the top slice of world’s goalkeepers. They may not be de Gea or Neuer, but they are closer to them than they are to the chase pack. Chelsea’s Marcin Bulka and AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma may be there some day, but Chelsea will not start an outfield player until he has 150-200 senior-level games. They certainly will not make an exception for their goalkeepers.
Thibaut Courtois and the Blues have kicked the can down the road over his contract extensions. Depending on the day, either side may be lukewarm on the prospects or a larger drama (perhaps one involving another wantaway to Atletico Madrid) crops up. The Blues need to add Courtois’ contract to their January to-do list, alongside Eden Hazard and Antonio Conte. And they need to do it proactively. They cannot wait to see if anything substantial comes out of Paris Saint-Germain.
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By the time Chelsea learn of anything in the works, the game will already be up. The only thing more foreboding than a public move by PSG would be Courtois or Oblak greeting Mino Raiola as their new agent.