Chelsea transfer news: Thibaut Courtois seems set to leave Blues after fall out with goalkeeping coach

Belgium stopper has lost confidence with Frenchman and mentor Christophe Lollichon

Posted Saturday, May 07, 2016 by thesun.co.uk

THIBAUT COURTOIS seems set to leave Chelsea after learning goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon must stay.

Courtois is unhappy at working with the Frenchman, who stayed at Stamford Bridge last term despite protege Petr Cech leaving the Blues for Arsenal.

Belgian No1 Courtois spoke to incoming manager Conte about his position when the Italian made clear he wanted the keeper to stay.

But Courtois indicated he would only wish to remain at the Bridge if he could work with a new coach because he had lost confidence in Lollichon, 53.

While the Belgian, 23, accepts he has had a disappointing campaign, he is understood to believe that is down to his three-month injury absence allied to his frustrations at working with the Frenchman.

Conte, who was given the green light to bring in five backroom staff, including his brother and tactical analyst Gianluca, long-term assistants Angelo Alessio and Massimo Carrera, scout Mauro Sandreani and fitness expert Paolo Bertelli, had initially accepted inheriting the rest of the team that worked under Guus Hiddink.

They included Lollichon, who has been at Chelsea since 2007.

And when Conte went back to the club to ask if it would be possible to change the keeping coach in an effort to persuade Courtois to commit to the Blues, he was told that Lollichon’s position was not on the table.

It means Conte is beginning to resign himself to having to sell the stopper and find a new first choice keeper for his initial season in SW6.

Courtois has no interest in a projected transfer to Paris Saint-Germain although he would be ready to consider a return to Spain.

Former club Atletico Madrid — with whom he spent three years cementing his reputation as the best young keeper in Europe — are unlikely to meet Chelsea’s likely £50million valuation even if they do look to sell Slovenian Jan Oblak.

Courtois is thought to want to move to Real Madrid and displace Keylor Navas, although he is aware that President Florentino Perez has made David De Gea his prime keeping target.