Thibaut Courtois, 25, has left Chelsea fans across the country in peril as he admits that he is struggling with personal issues which may see him leave the club.
Why he wants to leave
The Belgian stopper is adored by the Blues and has made over 100 appearances at the club. Furthermore, Courtois is the prime example of Chelsea's questioned loan system, as he spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid before returning to the west side of London to claim his first-team spot.
However, during his time within Spain with Atletico Madrid, two of his beloved children were born and are still being raised in the Spanish capital by his former partner, Marta Dominguez.
Within recent interviews, Courtois has admitted that he is suffering from personal issues and would like to spend more time with his children, Nicolas and Adriana. Furthermore, he has revealed that given his personal situation, it is unlikely that Courtois will remain at Stamford Bridge for the long term.
"Everybody knows that due to my personal situation, Spain attracts me. If it's not now it will be in some years"
"I'm happy at Chelsea.
I just want to wait (discussing contract talks) because now there are many games and I prefer to have my head focused on that."
It's evident to see that Courtois does hold an emotional connection with the club, rising through their youth team to win multiple club and individual trophies - ranging from the Premier League title to the prestigious Premier League Golden Glove award.
Where next?
However, family commitments appear to be a priority for the Belgian shot-stopper as a move away seems more likely. Courtois has 18 months left to run on his current deal with the former Champions League winners, with rumours suggesting that the Belgian keeper rejecting a contract extension. Despite, the current Premier League champions offering to double his current wage of £100,000-per-week.
Due to the geographical location of both of his children, it's likely that Courtois will return to Spain, more specifically Madrid. Current Real Madrid manager and club icon, Zinedine Zidane, is currently in search for a new long-term goalkeeper and the Belgian shot-stopper may well be the answer.
Los Blancos are currently behind the pace in fourth position. However, a goalkeeper of Courtois's stature may help Los Blancos elevate themselves up the table as he provides consistently impressive defensive performances.
However, it's likely that Courtois will return to Atletico Madrid, due to his familiarity with the club and the previous success that he has achieved with them.