Chelsea are prepared to sell Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid for £35.5million — but only if they find a replacement first.
Talks have been taking place since last week and the Blues are increasingly resigned to losing their first-choice goalkeeper for a cut-price sum as he has just 12 months left on his contract.
But Chelsea will not allow a deal to go ahead until they bring in a new keeper, although they are in danger of missing out on coach Maurizio Sarri’s first-choice target — Roma’s Alisson.
Liverpool have lodged an initial bid, which is a world-record sum for a goalkeeper, of £53m, with another £9m in add-ons.