Chelsea's Conte: Courtois 'stays with us'
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte effectively ended recent rumors linking Belgian shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois to Spanish giant Real Madrid, by stating Friday he will do everything he can to keep the 24-year old at Stamford Bridge.
Earlier, it was reported that Courtois told friends and family that a move back to Spain could be on the horizon for next summer.
This comes after Courtois announced in November that he was enjoying the superb "atmosphere" at Chelsea and all he wanted to do was commit to winning trophies for the Blues.
And Conte knows he is the right man for the job.
"I think it's not important to clarify the situation," Conte said Friday, as reported by ESPN FC's Liam Twomey. "Thibaut is, for me, one of the best - if not the best - goalkeepers in the world. He's working really well. He's a fantastic goalkeeper.
"He stays with us and this is the most important thing. The other things are only speculation," Conte added.
The Italian manager said Courtois is so important to his side because he does not have any weaknesses and he is only getting better with experience.
"I think in this season he's playing very well, and you can see that he's not only very good with his hands but also with his feet," Conte explained. He's a complete goalkeeper, a modern goalkeeper."
Conte also stressed the fact that he wants to add to his squad and strengthen the team in January, he does not want to be losing any more players.
Related: Chelsea confirms sale of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG for reported £60M
"In January, it's always very difficult to buy because I think that every team tries to keep their best players, and don't want to sell," Conte said. "But, with the club, we are thinking about the best way to face the rest of the season.
Although he has the money to splurge in January, the 47-year-old said it is vital to be smart with any transfer business.
"For sure, we sold Oscar and we have money to spend. But it's important to spend money in the right way," he said. "To spend for spending's sake, I don't like this.
"I prefer to buy players, adapt our system, people who can come into our team and pass. It's not easy in January in this window to find these types of players. But, with the club, we are working on these aspects."