Chelsea: Jan Oblak and Sergio Rico reportedly on Antonio Conte’s wishlist

As Thibaut Courtois continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is reportedly targeting Jan Oblak and Sergio Rico as replacements.

The rumours linking Thibaut Courtois and Real Madrid refuse to go away. With the January transfer window just around the corner, the Belgian is once again reportedly close to a Spain switch. As a result, Chelsea are reportedly looking at Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak and Sevilla’s Sergio Rico as potential replacements.

Writing for Sky Sports, Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has shed some more light on the situation.

"Real Madrid have told Thibaut Courtois’ camp that they want to sign the Chelsea goalkeeper…As a replacement, Antonio Conte is an admirer of Sevilla’s Sergio Rico and Atletico’s Jan Oblak, among others names on the wish list."

Courtois has been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu for over a year. However, no deal has come close to being agreed. A lot depends on David De Gea’s situation in Manchester as Real Madrid likely prefer the Spaniard.

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Having said that, Chelsea do need to have contingency plans in place should Courtois leave. Oblak is a fantastic goalkeeper who could well develop into the game’s next star between the sticks. The Slovenian national is only 24-year-old, but he already looks like one of the finest shot-stoppers in the world.

Atletico have a history of being a selling club and Oblak will not be off-limits. Chelsea will need to splash the cash, though, as Diego Simeone initially signed Oblak for €16 million – a La Liga record for a goalkeeper. They also tied him to a six-year contract which he is halfway through. Add all of that to the raw value of his talent and you have an expensive deal.

Sergio Rico, meanwhile, is the same age as Oblak but will almost certainly be cheaper. Although Rico’s talent is evident, he has been part of a relatively leaky Sevilla side. He simply isn’t as good as Oblak and Chelsea will pay a lower fee to reflect that.

Should Courtois leave, the question is whether the Blues are willing to cough up enough money to secure world-class talent. The Courtois sale should generate significant revenue and thus there is little excuse not to bid for Oblak.

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What do you think? Who would you like to see succeed Courtois, if a successor is needed? Give us your candidates in the comments below!