Thibaut Courtois hopes Chelsea will waive fee so he’s free to face them

 
10 April 2014

Chelsea's negotiations with Thibaut Courtois could play a major part in whether he faces the club in the Champions League should they be drawn against his current side Atletico Madrid.

Courtois is on his third successive loan at Atletico from Chelsea and the two sides have both reached the last four of Europe’s premier club competition.

The draw takes place tomorrow morning and while UEFA rules do not prevent Courtois facing his parent club, a clause in the deal made last summer says Atletico would have to pay the Blues £4.95million to play in the two matches.

Atletico president Enrique Cerezo insists the cash-strapped club are not in a position to do that, saying: “It is a figure that we cannot pay.”

There was no such stipulation when Chelsea played Atletico in the 2012 Uefa Super Cup Final and Courtois helped the La Liga club win 4-1.

The 21-year-old is desperate to play in the semi-finals, even if it is against the Blues, and hopes that Chelsea can be convinced to drop the fee as part of the final stages of talks over a new deal.

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As Standard Sport revealed this week, the two parties are close to agreeing a five-year extension but are still in discussions over the size of his salary.

Atletico are also considering the prospect of selling striker Diego Costa, who has a £32m clause in his contract, for a reduced fee to Chelsea this summer in exchange for Courtois’s availability to play for free.

If Chelsea refuse, Atletico would have to field back-up goalkeeper Dani Aranzubia. The 34-year-old has made just two appearances this season due to the stunning form of his rival.

He played in a 2-0 win over Porto in the group stage of the Champions League after Atletico had already qualified for the last 16. He then played in a 2-0 defeat to Almeria in February, when he was sent off.

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