Chelsea eye PSG keeper as Courtois replacement

Premier League holders Chelsea could lodge a transfer attempt for Alphonse Areola, should Thibaut Courtois force his way out of the club.

Courtois, 24, has kept the Blues in the dark over his future after having stalled on talks over a potential extension. The Belgium international wants to at least double his current wages of £100,000 a week, but the Blues are unlikely to come close to his expectation.

As a result, the speculation has only intensified with the player's representative citing that he is in regular contact with Real Madrid to discuss the Belgian's situation.

According to The Star, the Blues have an eye on Areola, who is currently in the ranks of Paris Saint-Germain. The former France under-21 international was impressive for Villareal during a loan stint between 2015 and 2016, but he could not quite replicate the form with Les Parisiens last term.

Areola was restricted to just 15 appearances in the French Ligue 1 with Kevin Trapp getting the nod for the number one role under manager Unai Emery.

Courtois is said to be behind Manchester United's David de Gea on the list of targets for Real Madrid, and a move looks highly unlikely unless Zinedine Zidane intensifies his interest.