Atletico Madrid leave door open for a fourth year on loan for Thibaut Courtois

How do you choose between two of the four best goalkeepers in the world and still keep everyone happy?  It really does look like an impossible situation.

From an organizational talent perspective, it's an amazing problem to have.  Probably.   Most likely, any decision would turn out at least okay.  But we need to make the best decision and that seems much, much harder to figure out.  Unfortunately, with both goalkeepers' Chelsea contracts expiring in two years, we will have to figure it out rather quickly, possibly as soon as this coming summer.

Unless...

"Courtois is an Atletico player until the end of the season. After the season we'll try to purchase him, if Chelsea wants, and if they don't want to sell, we'll look for another solution in order to bring him back here next season."

-Enrique Cerezo; Atlético Madrid president; source: Inside Spanish Football

Unless we can delay for a bit longer.

I think it's safe to say that we don't want to sell Courtois unless and until it is absolutely necessary.   A fourth year on loan, i.e. "another solution" at Atlético suddenly looks like the ideal solution, no?

Despite rumors in the Spanish press that aim to "destabilize," Courtois has "no problems" with his contract situation with either Chelsea or Atletico Madrid.

Almost exactly ten years younger than our current Number One, Courtois has the age (and maybe overall skill) advantage while Petr Cech has experience and most other intangibles on his side.  Neither would be content with a bench role, most likely.  So unless we sell one of them, maintaining the status quo of the last three seasons looks like the best way forward in the short term.