Antonio Conte has warned Chelsea will lose the best goalkeeper in the world if they do not tie Thibaut Courtois down to a new contract.

Courtois this week suggested that he has put talks over a new contract on hold until next summer, when he will only have 12 months remaining on his current deal, but Chelsea will try to find a breakthrough before the end of the season.

Chelsea are well aware that long-term admirers Real Madrid are watching the situation, while Paris Saint-Germain and Conte’s former club Juventus have been alerted to the impasse.

Should Chelsea fail to convince Courtois to sign a new contract before the end of the season, then they will face the dilemma of either having to listen to offers for the Belgian or allowing him to enter his final year and risk eventually losing him on a free transfer.

Conte has admitted that the future of Courtois, who has kept three successive clean sheets, is out of his hands, but the head coach has made the size of the potential loss for Chelsea very clear.

“I must be honest I think this question is for the club, not for me,” said Conte. “I like to also give my opinion about technical decisions, but it is also important for the club to face this issue, this contract with Courtois.