Why Joe Hart Should Be Chelsea's No. 1 Summer Transfer Target

So this is what is being reported by the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel: Real Madrid will attempt to sign Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois this summer, leaving the Blues without a first-choice goalkeeper.

New boss Antonio Conte is apparently interested in Southampton's Fraser Forster as a replacement, though. According to the Sun's Mike McGrath, Chelsea will make a £20 million bid for the Saints man should Courtois be sold to Madrid.

All the while, Pep Guardiola is being linked by the Telegraph's Matt Law with a move for Barcelona stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen as he looks to make his mark at Manchester City when he takes over at the Etihad Stadium when the season ends.

If the transfer merry-go-round spins such a yarn to rival the rumours, Chelsea have got to ask themselves why they would be turning to England's No. 3 goalkeeper.

For all his qualities, the Blues must surely be aiming higher than Forster.

With Ter Stegen not expected to move to England to play back-up to Hart, Chelsea's best option would be to test the resolve of their Premier League rivals and snatch the Englishman from them. Hart is no ordinary keeper, and Chelsea would do well to bring him to west London if they lose Courtois.

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

After all, the Blues themselves need only look at their own transfer policy with goalkeepers to see how they might benefit.

Arsenal have been the main beneficiaries of Petr Cech becoming sidelined at Stamford Bridge, and a similar situation could be on the cards at City.

As Conte begins his rebuilding project, he needs to do it with solid foundation at the back. Indeed, before any fancy names are considered further forward, Chelsea have to get their defence right. There's the ongoing will-he, won't-he saga with John Terry's future, and the last thing Conte needs is to be worrying about a goalkeeper.

Hart continues to display some shortcomings in his game, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of being Chelsea's first choice in the absence of Courtois, who himself has struggled at times this term.

Hart has shown this season why he is so highly rated in England—most recently with his display against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

It's not often that Zlatan Ibrahimovic misses penalties, but he met his match in Hart on Wednesday night. The goalkeeper gave his side a platform at Parc des Princes, saving Ibrahimovic's spot-kick expertly when the score was still level at 0-0.

Hart's save wasn't any ordinary stop, either. He played as many mind games with the PSG striker as he could in order to gain an upper hand. Only Ibrahimovic knows for certain if that had any impact, but the fact that he missed suggests it did.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

The arrogance Hart demonstrated with his antics—slowing everything down to take a sip of water behind his goal, grabbing his towel to dry his gloves before fronting Ibrahimovic from 12 yards, giving him the eyes—it's that sort of character Chelsea need.

Conte is inheriting a team low on confidence and devoid of leaders. Hart may only be a goalkeeper, yet he continues to show his qualities from the back in helping inspire those around him.

We haven't seen that from Forster in his time with Celtic and Southampton. He's proved himself to be an excellent shot-stopper and a man who can command his box, but outside of that, he is lacking in the same department as Hart.

The City goalkeeper has delivered at the highest level and continues to do it. He isn't a passenger at the Etihad. Rather he is one of the fiercest competitors in Manuel Pellegrini's side.

Chelsea need to be building from the back to ensure the foundations for the future are solid. To do that, they need quality in every position, which starts with the goalkeeper. If Courtois isn't going to be that man, Hart must surely be at the top of Chelsea's transfer list this summer.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.