The formerly absent Thibaut Coutois has completed his move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, as reported by BBC Sport.
Chelsea released a statement confirming that a fee of €35m has been agreed with Madrid; The Belgian keeper is set to sign a six-year deal with the current European Champions after personal terms have been agreed and his medical passed.
Belgium’s number one, made 126 appearances in the Premier League, keeping 48 clean sheets on his way to two league titles
The news comes just hours after the announcement that Kepa Arrizabalaga has joined the Blues as Coutois replacement for £71m, a world record fee for a goalkeeper. The Spaniard joins from Athletic Bilbao and has also broken Chelsea’s transfer record, formerly held by fellow countrymen Alvaro Morata. Arrizabalaga has a wealth of experience at just 23, having made 54 appearances for Bilbao already. Sarri will have identified the goalkeeper as a target due to his enormous potential and accurate distribution, suiting the Italian manager’s style of play.
Once the deal is completed, Croatian central midfielder Mateo Kovacic will be sent on a season-long loan to Stanford Bridge to bolster Maurizio Sarri’s options in the engine room. The 24-year-old made 28 appearances for Real Madrid last season but half of those came as a substitute, the move is a sensible one as he will likely be given more game time in an area that required strengthening for Chelsea.
