Chelsea transfer news: Real Madrid, Monaco and PSG could bid for Petr Cech if Jose Mourinho chooses Thibault Courtois

Mourinho has a tough decision to make by Monday night as he must choose between Cech and Thibault Courtois to start in goal

Petr Cech (Getty Images)

Chelsea are readying themselves for a flurry of offers for goalkeeper Petr Cech after reports appeared to suggest Jose Mourinho will pick Thibault Courtois for Chelsea’s opening Premier League match against Burnley on Monday night.

Courtois has returned to the Blues after three consecutive season-long loan spells with Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. Courtois has made it clear he has no intentions to warm the bench at Stamford Bridge, while Cech will be reluctant to give up the shirt he has worn proudly for the past decade.

Mourinho has reiterated that he will not inform his chosen goalkeeper for the first until a team meeting on Sunday, although Courtois is believed to be confident of starting the match after he was given a 90 minute run-out against Real Sociedad on Tuesday.

Should the Belgium international win the race to claim the No 1 shirt, a host of leading European clubs could make a bid for Cech in an effort to pry him away from the Blues before the end of the summer transfer window.

Champions League winners Real Madrid have been linked with a move even though they signed World Cup star Keylor Navas earlier in the summer, meaning that Iker Casillas could drop down the pecking order or even leave the Santiago Bernabeu altogether.

Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco are also believed to be interested, with Cech joining from France after agreed a deal to leave Rennes in 2004.

The drive for Courtois to beat Cech to the starting role is not only coming from the 22-year-old himself, but also from his national manager Marc Wilmots.

Mourinho takes pragmatic approach to choosing 'keeper

Despite insisting that Courtois is likely to remain his first choice for Belgium, he warned that a prolonged spell on the bench would see him consider alternative options, such as Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet.

“Courtois will remain my No 1,” said Wilmots. “But I know he could end up on the bench at Chelsea.

“In that case I will re-assess.”