Chelsea to reopen contract talks with Thibaut Courtois prior to end of season

Chelsea will reportedly restart contract negotiations with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois before the end of the current campaign.

The Belgian's current deal is due to expire at the end of the 2018/19 season, and talks over an extension appear to have reached a standstill amid interest from Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

According to The Telegraph, the west London giants are increasingly worried over the shot-stopper's situation, and they are taking necessary steps to prolong his stay.

London rivals Arsenal face the prospect of losing both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil with their contracts running down in the summer, and the Blues are keen to avoid a similar situation by restarting negotiations with Courtois before the season ends.

The former Atletico Madrid loanee is currently said to demand a salary package of around £205,000-a-week which would put him on par with Manchester United's David de Gea.

Meanwhile, the Premier League holders are already looking for potential replacements for Courtois as a contingency plan with Stoke City's Jack Butland apparently leading their shortlist of targets.