Thibaut Courtois’ wish finally will come true.
Chelsea FC and Real Madrid announced Wednesday on their respective websites they’ve agreed to transfer the star goalkeeper from the Premier League club to the Spanish giant. Real Madrid announced in its statement Courtois will sign a six-year contract, and the club will present him to its fans Thursday at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The teams didn’t disclose terms of Courtois’ transfer, but multiple outlets report Real Madrid will pay Chelsea £35 million (€39 million/$45 million) for his services. Real Madrid also announced it will loan midfielder Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea in a separate, but simultaneously completed, deal.
Courtois has been on strike this week in an effort to force Chelsea to sell him, and the team relented after lining up Kepa Arrizabalaga as his replacement. Courtois long has been pining for a transfer to a Spanish club in order to be nearer to his two young children, who live the country.
The Belgian will leave Chelsea after seven seasons, three of which he spent on loan at Atletico Madrid. He helped the Blues win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge. He also helped Belgium achieve a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Courtois’ arrival at Real Madrid threatens the place of incumbent starter Keylor Navas, who helped the team win the UEFA Champions League in each of the last three seasons.
