8th August, 2018
Chelsea have agreed to sell Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid, with midfielder Mateo Kovacic arriving on loan from the Spanish club.
The Blues say the deal is still subject to Courtois agreeing personal terms and completing a medical.
Real plan to present the 26-year-old, who will sign a six-year deal, as their new signing at 12:00 BST on Thursday.
Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to arrive as his replacement for £71m – a world record for a goalkeeper.
And Croatia midfielder Kovacic, 24, will have a medical on Wednesday before joining on a season-long loan.
He has spent the past three campaigns at Real since joining from Inter Milan, and played in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final in July.
Courtois has been a Chelsea player since 2011, when he signed from Genk.
He was immediately loaned to Atletico Madrid, where he played until 2014, before returning as the Blues’ number one.
On Monday he was absent from Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, where he was due to take part following his involvement at the World Cup.
BBC reports that Courtois was voted best goalkeeper at the tournament, with Belgium beating England in a third-place play-off.
Kepa, 23, is set to arrive at Stamford Bridge after a release clause in his contract was met, with the deal surpassing Alisson’s £66.8m July move to Liverpool.
He is Spain’s number two behind Manchester United’s David de Gea and has one international cap.