Thibaut Courtois and Diego Costa are ready to put aside their pining for Madrid and sign contract extensions for Chelsea. Is there anything Antonio Conte cannot do?
Throughout last season and into the summer, Thibaut Courtois and Diego Costa kept their bags packed in case Madrid came calling. Courtois supposedly received a get-well-soon fax from Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid came so close to tapping up Diego Costa that Chelsea issued formal warnings to the Spanish club, a precursor to potential legal action.
Now, with both players on track for career-best seasons, those days of yearning for a return to Spain might be over. The Telegraph reports that both Costa and Courtois will open contract talks in January. Both are already under contract with Chelsea until 2019. The negotiations would offer them higher wages in return for committing to the Blues well into the 2020s.
The Telegraph speculates that Costa and Courtois could each add £50,000 per week to their salary. This would bring them to about £200,000 and £150,000 per week, respectively.
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As the transfer rumours surrounding the two crescendoed over the summer, Antonio Conte spoke with each player. The incoming manager explained to them his vision for the club and their role in his ambitions at Chelsea. Whatever he said was enough for them to give the chatter a rest and give his system a chance.
Costa, Courtois and Conte rewarded their faith in each other many times over. Conte not only restored Diego Costa – tactically and psychologically – to his goal-scoring ways. He made Costa a Golden Boot contender who has complete mastery over his passions. Costa’s resurgence at Chelsea carried over to Spain’s national team. He broke a long-standing scoring drought and earning a regular place in the side.
Courtois may be bored in his current station at Chelsea, touching the ball only a few times more each game than Asmir Begovic. But Courtois has seven clean sheets to his name, an impenetrable defence in front of him and a supportive manager behind him.
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Whatever Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois wanted at the Madrid clubs, they now have at Chelsea. Well, except for better weather.