CHELSEA EYE UP COURTOIS REPLACMENTS
Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga is a goalkeeper target for Chelsea, Sky Sports News understands.
With the Blues resigned to losing Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid before the deadline after he missed training for a second day today, the club are focusing their attentions on securing his replacement.
Stoke’s Jack Butland remains their first choice because of the nature of the deal, according to Sky sources, which is expected to cost them £30m if they can act quickly - but that price will rise the close to the deadline it becomes.
Arrizabalaga would cost Chelsea much more, and a fee of around £70m would make him the most expensive goalkeeper in the world - eclipsing Alisson only weeks after the Brazilian joined Liverpool.
Maurizio Sarri would also like to go for Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, but his £89m release clause is a stumbling block.