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11/02/2024 11:27:08 am

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Football Transfer Rumors: Chelsea Offers £50M Thibaut Courtois to Barcelona as Antonio Conte Wants Fraser Forster, Jack Butland

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

(Photo : Getty Images) Speculations abound that Chelsea will be offering Thibaut Courtois to Barcelona for £50 million as incoming head coach Antonio Conte wants Southampton’s Fraser Forster and Stoke City’s Jack Butland as his goalkeepers next season.

Speculations abound that dethroned English Premier League champions Chelsea FC will be offering Thibaut Courtois to FC Barcelona this summer for £50 million ($72 million) as incoming head coach Antonio Conte wants Southampton's Fraser Forster and Stoke City's Jack Butland as his goalkeepers next season.

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The 23-year-old Belgium international is said to be keen on playing for a Champions League team next season as the Blues failed to qualify to the said club continental tournament due to their dismal performance in this term, as per The Sun.

After a sudden resurgence in the second half of the season, Chelsea is still in the ninth spot of the English Premier League table, still 16 points behind fourth-running Manchester City and the final Champions League berth, with only three games left in their current campaign.

It was reported that Courtois told Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo that he wants to play in the Champions League again, but he will not get the chance if he stays with the club next season.

Caught Offside indicated that Conte is open to the possibility of selling Courtois for the aforementioned price as the former Italian national team boss is targeting a pair of new goalkeepers this summer, particularly the Saints' Forster and the Potters' Butland.

The report also mentioned that Conte sees Courtois as "dispensable" and that the two potential replacements have played better than the former Atletico Madrid goal tender this season.

Meanwhile, Barça is reportedly set to offload Marc-Andre ter Stegen at the end of the season as the German goalkeeper is being targeted by Manchester City and Chelsea's offer to transfer Courtois will be a welcome one for Luis Enrique's side.

Recent rumors emerged that selling ter Stegen is only the first step of a massive overhaul of Enrique's lineup for next season's competitions which is likely to happen in the coming transfer window.

Barça should have been competing for a chance at a second straight Treble this season, but a staggering drop in form late in the season had them eliminated in the Champions League and blowing a nine-point spread in the Spanish top flight at the moment.

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