Having established himself as a key figure at Chelsea over the last three seasons, a possible exit for Thibaut Courtois would be a major setback.
The 25-year-old has made over 150 appearances for the club since 2014, and has played an influential role in helping them win two Premier League titles in the last three years.
SEE MORE: ‘I’m his white daddy’ – Jose Mourinho opens up on special relationship with former star
That’s reportedly the risk that the Blues face though, as Mundo Deportivo, via Onda Cero, are reporting that the Belgian shot-stopper will eye a move to Real Madrid when his contract expires in 2019.
It’s claimed that he will opt against signing a renewal, and that will be a double blow as losing a player of his quality will be a huge blow in itself, but it will also be difficult to find a replacement capable of matching what Courtois brings to the side.
The Belgian international is still only 25 years of age, and so while he has already established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe, he has a huge portion of his career still ahead of him.
Further, if he were to leave on a free transfer, it wouldn’t give Chelsea the funds to help them replace him, and so this really would be a mess for the Blues as they could be forced into considering selling him this summer to at least avoid losing him for nothing if it becomes apparent he will genuinely leave.
With ageing stalwarts Willy Caballero and Eduardo available currently as reserve options, that would suggest that the west London giants would need a long-term solution should they be forced to plan ahead without Courtois.