Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Thibaut Courtois and Alvaro Morata

Real Madrid have reportedly opened discussions with Chelsea over a summer transfer for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, although they are said to have warned the Blues they will not include Alvaro Morata in any deal.

According to Chris Hatherall of the Sunday Mirror, the Chelsea stopper is Madrid's top transfer target and they "have set aside €30 million (£25.9 million) to tempt" the player to the Santiago Bernabeu. 

The Blues are said to have made little progress in negotiations with Courtois over a new deal, with his contract set to expire in 2019. It's also noted in the report that they would consider a sale provided Madrid included Morata in any package, with Diego Costa’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge said to be uncertain.

However, according to Hatherall, Real are reluctant, and manager Zinedine Zidane "has refused to sanction any swap."

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So many different areas of the Chelsea team have flourished since manager Antonio Conte made a tweak to the system earlier in the campaign. But Courtois' return to form after his struggles last season has been vital in their rise to the summit of the Premier League table.

As these numbers from Squawka Football illustrate, no goalkeeper in European football's elite leagues has been tougher to beat than the Belgium international this term:

Considering his quality, that he's just 24 years old and his profile in world football, Courtois would be a natural target for Los Blancos.

While they have a dependable option between the sticks in Keylor Navas, the Spanish giants are renowned for making statement acquisitions. As one of the best goalkeepers in football, Courtois would undoubtedly be that.

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The former Atletico Madrid man has many positives to his game. His wiry build and agility allow him to claw shots out of corners, while he also provides an authoritative presence in the penalty area. Courtois' awareness and distribution have also improved this term.

Per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, there have been signs as of late that Navas may not be the force he once was between the sticks:

Chelsea would be reluctant to let Courtois depart, although Morata would be a superb sweetener. The striker might be open to a possible switch too.

Although the Spain international only returned to Real in the summer after two years at Juventus, he's not been as involved as often as he might have liked. In La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, the 24-year-old has only made a total of seven starts.

Nevertheless, Morata has still made some crucial contributions. Here's a look at some of them:

As noted in the initial report, Costa's position at Chelsea is unclear. The forward would be an almost irreplaceable figure at Stamford Bridge because of his ability to blend hard work, aggression, physicality and potency in front of goal; Morata has shown he does have some of those characteristics.

Even so, of the two clubs, it would surely be Chelsea who are the most unwilling to cash in on their player, and a fee of £25.9 million sounds too small to convince them to sell one of the most exciting goalkeepers in the game.

If Madrid want Courtois and are keen to keep Morata, it's likely they would have to part with an enormous amount to get a deal done.