Thibaut Courtois Admits 'Spain Attracts Me' Amid Chelsea Exit Rumours

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said he is keen to return to Spain in the future as both of his two children are being raised in Madrid.

He spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid to 2014 before returning to Chelsea to become No. 1 at Stamford Bridge, but he has now confirmed his long-term future does not lie in west London, per Spanish television station LaSexta (via Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard): "Everybody knows that due to my personal situation, Spain attracts me. If it is not now, it will be in some years."

The Belgian stopper added that he is content at Chelsea at the moment and is not waiting on an offer from Real Madrid, with whom he has been heavily linked: "No, I'm calm. I'm happy at Chelsea. I just want to wait (over contract talks) because now there are many games and I prefer to have my head focused on that."

Johnson explained contract negotiations have stalled between Chelsea and Courtois after the Blues' offer in May fell short of doubling his current £100,000-a-week wages.

The 25-year-old's deal at Chelsea expires in 2019, so the Blues will be eager to get him signed to extended terms as soon as possible.

It seems clear from Courtois' latest comments that he will eventually leave the west London outfit, but the club will not want to risk losing him for free.

He is a huge talent and recently ranked behind only Manuel Neuer and Gianluigi Buffon in a France Football poll on the world's best goalkeepers:

It is a huge blow to Chelsea that he does not plan to stay at the club for the long term as, given his relative youth, he could conceivably be No. 1 at Stamford Bridge for the next decade or more.

There will be no shortage of suitors for Courtois, but it is likely his ideal move would be back to Madrid, and according to Johnson, Atleti are also said to be eager to re-sign him.

The Standard reporter added French giants Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to meet the £89 million release clause to sign Atleti's current No. 1 Jan Oblak, and the Madrid outfit will then look to use the funds to replace him with Courtois.