Chelsea manager Antonio Conte urges Thibaut Courtois to stay at Stamford Bridge and become a club legend
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ANTONIO CONTE has urged Thibaut Courtois to snub Real Madrid and become a legend for Chelsea.
Keeper Courtois is the subject of fresh transfer speculation involving the European Champions who know he is keen to return to Spain to play.
Conte swung into action to fend off the Spanish giants by flattering Courtois and comparing him to Juventus and Italy’s iconic keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
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Conte said: “The stories, the histories are similar. Also, Gigi Buffon started his career early in Parma and the same for Thibaut, who started to play early. I hope for Thibaut can repeat the same career as Gigi Buffon.
“I think that Buffon, for me, is one of the best goalkeepers of all time. I stayed with him at Juventus before as team-mates, and then as his coach, in the national team also.
"I think Buffon is a legend for football, and I hope Thibaut has the same career as Gigi.
“He has great potential to continue to do great things, to reach great targets.”
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Buffon is still only 38 and has nearly 500 games for Juventus over 15 years behind him - playing alongside then working under Conte.
He has been Italy's keeper at a record five World Cups.
Courtois is under contract for three more years on around £105,000 a week but Conte is open to a new deal and a pay rise to make the highly-rated Belgian stay put.
Conte said: ““For Thibaut? I think that's a club decision. But, in my opinion, yes, I think that a goalkeeper like Thibaut deserves to stay at Chelsea for many years and become a type of player to stay and write the story of this club, to become a legend at this club.
“Thibaut is a Chelsea player and I want him to stay here. I think he's very happy to stay here. I see him with this club for many years. I want this, the club wants this. I don't see any problem.”
Courtois, 24, spent three years on loan from Chelsea at Atletico Madrid before ousting Petr Cech as the club’s no.1.
He still watches Spanish TV at home in England and Madrid sent him a cheeky ‘get well’ fax in September while he recovered from injury.
Conte joked: “That was very good of Real Madrid, to send a message. I think it's good if a great club like Real Madrid sends a message to players who, at that moment, had a bad injury. But I think it's good. Maybe, in the future, I'd like to do the same with Ronaldo.
“I think it's a good situation for another club to send a message. I repeat: I can do this in the future for other players who, in that moment, are injured.”
Chelsea want to nail Courtois down to them for the foreseeable future but are also set to be one of the busiest of the top clubs during next month’s transfer window.
An energetic midfielder to replace departing Oscar is likely while a top class striker to cover Diego Costa less so.
Conte said: “We are talking about finding the right solution in the right roles to improve the squad. But I repeat, it won't be easy. But we are trying. We are trying to do something.”
Chelsea's likely squad vs Stoke City: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Luiz, Moses, Matic, Kante, Alonso, Pedro, Costa, Hazard.