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Pictures have emerged of Thibaut Courtois saying his goodbyes to teammates as he travelled to the Atletico's training ground in Majadahonda, Madrid for the last time as an Atletico Madrid player in order to clear out his belongings.
Courtois' rise to prominence as one of the best 'keepers in the world is largely down to his development at the Vicente Calderon. To have been given the opportunity to play on a weekly basis has seen his value skyrocket, and he is now being recalled by his parent club to develop further in Jose Mourinho's squad.
If you were to look at one single case study regarding the benefits of loaning players out, this would be it. While fans of Los Rojiblancos are devastated, Chelsea are receiving a player who is certainly thought of as one of the top three shot-stoppers in the world.
His value to Atletico's squad was evident throughout their successful La Liga run and their unlikely trip to a Champions League final, where they lost out narrowly to cross-town rivals Real Madrid.
While Atletico Madrid are said to have offered Mexico's standout performer during the World Cup, Guillermo Ochoa, a contract, it will be next to impossible to replace Thibaut Courtois in the goal. The poise that the young Belgian showed throughout his time at Atletico, along with the relationship he had developed with the fans, his back four, and Diego Simeone over the course of his spell is invaluable.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will be getting a new number one, as it has been reported that Jose Mourinho wants Courtois to be his starter. Reports even went so far to say that Petr Cech will be offered a vice-captaincy role in order to keep him at the club to mentor Courtois even further.
While the future is unwritten, the past is set in stone and the part that Thibaut Courtois has played in Atletico Madrid's recent history will never be undone and always be remembered.