Courtois: Chelsea contract talks on hold
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says that discussions over a new deal remain on hold, despite his current contract expiring in a little over 18 months' time.
In the summer, the Belgian will move into the final 12 months of his deal, leaving Chelsea's bargaining position severely weakened, but despite that, Courtois does not expect talks to resume over a new deal until the end of the season.
A previous round of talks in May failed to find an agreement, depsite the player being one of the first names on Antonio Conte's teamsheet and a key part of the side that has won two Premier League titles in the last three years.
According to English publication 'The Guardian', Courtois' agent, Christophe Henrotay, is looking to secure his client a significant wage rise, pushing his earnings to around £200,000 a week in order to put Courtois on a similar level to other Chelsea stars such as Eden Hazard and one of the Premier Leagues other top goalkeepers in Manchester United's David De Gea.
Courtois himself says that he is not letting his contract situation distract him, as he is merely focussed on doing well for the team.
“The most important thing is to perform well for myself and the team,” he explained, ahead of the Champions League game against Qarabag. “Regarding my contract, that’s something where Chelsea must deal with my agent. I don’t think there have been any new developments. We have so many games at the moment, and I prefer to focus on the team’s matches, my own performances, and there will be time enough towards the end of the season to have talks.”