You always wonder how much truth there is in transfer stories that come out a few years after things have happened.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, this one seems to be fairly credible and it’s resulted in a regrettable situation for the club:
Chelsea hesitated over Alisson in hope Courtois would stay, Liverpool capitalised & #CFC paid more for Kepa – a rare mishap for their highly-rated recruitment set-up. That + more with @liam_twomey @domfifield @SJohnsonSport @AdamCrafton_ for @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/7qAHQJmWU8
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) April 1, 2020
The goalkeeping position was a strong for years with Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois, so you can’t truly blame the team for hoping the Belgian would stay.
He’s actually struggled at times since moving to Real Madrid, so his decision to leave has arguably been a disaster for all parties.
Alisson has gone to show he’s one of the finest keepers in the world at Liverpool, he’s also great with his feet and would actually have been an upgrade.
The fact that Chelsea dithered does suggest they felt Courtois would stay, but of course he didn’t and they ended up with Kepa.
This wouldn’t even be a story if the Spaniard turned out to be remotely decent, but he’s had a nightmare and it’s even worse when you consider The BBC reported they paid £71m to land him from Bilbao.
Clearly Chelsea need a new keeper this Summer, so the fans will be hoping they get it right this time.