Thibaut Courtois is reportedly open to leaving Real Madrid and returning to the Premier League if Newcastle offer him an “astronomical” signing-on bonus.
The 29-year-old Belgian shot-stopper left Chelsea in 2018 to sign for Madrid in a deal believed to be worth around £35m.
Courtois, who has managed 149 appearances for Madrid, has lifted a La Liga title and Spanish Super Cup during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid star is under contract with Los Blancos until 2026 after he inked a new deal back in August.
However, El Nacional now reports that Newcastle are one of three clubs interested in signing Courtois alongside Bayern Munich and Juventus.
The Spanish newspaper claims that the Madrid No 1 has ‘ordered his agent to listen to each and every one of the proposals’ that are pitched his way.
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And Courtois would be prepared to ‘study’ for a route out of Madrid if an ‘astronomical’ signing-on bonus and salary was offered by a club.
Courtois’ Madrid and Belgium teammate Eden Hazard has also been linked with a January transfer to Newcastle after the club’s Saudi Arabia-backed takeover.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is chaired by Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, spearheaded the consortium that acquired Newcastle in October.
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However, Newcastle have continued to struggle since their £300m takeover and sit bottom of the Premier League table, with the Magpies six points adrift from safety.
Steve Bruce was sacked in the post-Mike Ashley era and replaced with Eddie Howe, whose first two Newcastle matches have ended in a defeat and draw.
The Magpies’ owners are able to spend up to £200m without breaching Financial Fair Play rules, but the club are reportedly prepared to spend up to £50m in January.
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Newcastle manager Howe insisted that he “can't make any promises” on whether the club would crack open their war chest and make new signings in the upcoming window.
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“I can't make any promises on that, but I can promise that the people above me, the owners, will support the team and support me in trying to achieve what we need,” he said.
“That's all I can say at this time. It would be foolish of me to make rash promises or statements. My priority at the moment is to get the best out of the players we have.”
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid, La Liga, Spain, Football, Newcastle United, England, Premier League