Chelsea Transfer News: Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois Contract Talk, Top Rumours

Chelsea have received positive news after reports stated star duo Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois are keen to sign new contracts at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, the hunt is back on for AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan.

Both Costa and Courtois have been critical to the Blues' recent success under manager Antonio Conte, and the Telegraph's Matt Law reported both are prepared to sign on the dotted line to prolong their stay at the club.

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According to Law, Costa rakes in a salary of £150,000 a week in west London and stands to earn "much closer to £200,000 a week" by extending, while Courtois' wage may exceed £150,000 a week, an increase on his current £100,000-a-week earnings.

The news comes as Chelsea sit one point clear of Liverpool and Manchester City at the Premier League summit, a position Costa in particular has been essential in securing thanks to his prolific return to form:

The Spain international is at the head of the English top flight's goalscoring chart, boasting a shot accuracy of 69 per cent, per Squawka, a phenomenal ratio considering he's one of only three players in the division to have 40 shots or more this term.

Conte appears happy for his frontman to remain at the club, too, following speculation both he and Courtois could return to Spain earlier this year, per Law.

Following Sunday's 1-0 win at Middlesbrough, the Blues boss was full of praise for Costa:

Courtois has been less important to Chelsea's rise this season after making just 17 saves across 12 league matches and keeping seven clean sheets, per Squawka, but he remains a valued squad member.

The Belgium international recently spoke to Rob Draper of the Mail On Sunday and admitted that while former manager Jose Mourinho wasn't solely to blame for Chelsea's recent hardships, Conte has made major improvements:

"

He's passionate and convincing in his words and that helps obviously if you're a manager. After these last five games, I think you would say we are there. But we have to go step by step.

Last season we had some difficult games in September which we lost. So we have to go step by step and we will see where we end. We face some good opponents. Middlesbrough is a hard team to beat and then Tottenham and Manchester City, so these are important weeks for us.

"

Chelsea's new 3-4-3 system is another contributor behind their recently improved defensive record, an alteration that's seen them win their last six league games without conceding.

Having said that, Courtois, 24, remains one of European football's most promising goalkeepers, and Kristof Terreur of Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws pointed to the stopper's remarkable run in form:

Elsewhere, Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) reported Chelsea could make another attempt to sign Nainggolan after the contract extension he was promised had yet to arrive.

It's said the Belgian was scheduled to meet with Roma officials regarding a new deal on Wednesday, although the higher potential for a lucrative deal in England could yet turn his attention to Stamford Bridge.