Chelsea and Real Madrid agree fee for transfer of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois is set for a move from Chelsea to Real Madrid pending a medical, after the clubs announced they had agreed to a deal on Wednesday.

According to sources, Real Madrid will pay Chelsea £35 million (€38.8m, $45m) for the Belgium international. The deal will also see midfielder Mateo Kovacic join the Blues on a season-long loan.

Chelsea have already moved to replace Courtois, activating the €80m (£71.5m) buyout clause in the contract of Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, making him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.

The deals bring an end to a protracted saga which culminated in Courtois declining to report for Chelsea training on Monday in an attempt to force the club to sell him, having informed Maurizio Sarri last week that he wanted to leave.

👋 Bienvenido al @RealMadrid, @thibautcourtois!#WelcomeCourtois| #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/hHqzcomSQi

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 8, 2018

Real Madrid said Courtois will sign a six-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, where he will face competition for the No. 1 spot from incumbent Keylor Navas, who helped the club win the last three Champions League titles.

Courtois signed for Chelsea from Genk in the summer of 2011 and immediately went on loan to Atletico Madrid, where he won a La Liga title, the Europa League and the Copa del Rey as well as reaching a Champions League final in three seasons working under Diego Simeone.

In 2014 he returned to Stamford Bridge to end Petr Cech’s 11-year reign as No. 1 goalkeeper and won two Premier League titles in four years with Chelsea, as well as the League Cup in 2015 and FA Cup in 2018.

But three years spent in the Spanish capital forged lasting connections for Courtois, and returning to Madrid will enable the Belgium international to spend more time with his two children, who live in the city with his former partner.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the four fantastic years that have passed. Chelsea FC will always have a fantastic place in my heart,” Courtois wrote on Facebook. “I want to thank the fans for their great support over the years.

“I hope you understand that being closer to my kids was considerable in my decision.”

Madrid will present Courtois, who won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper of the World Cup earlier this summer, at the Bernabeu at 1 p.m. local time on Thursday.