Legendary Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is expected to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season but many were surprised as to who he has been linked with.
After playing understudy to Thibaut Courtois this season it is time for the long-standing to decide on the next chapter in his career. Jose Mourinho has agreed that the 32-year-old has many years ahead of him and after seasons of faultless displays, and he is in demand this year.
Among the many names that have been linked are local rivals Arsenal. Many Blues fans were dismayed when it appeared their star goalkeeper could go to their closest rivals.
The Gunners’ regular number one Wojciech Szczesny has struggled to get back into the team after a number of poor performances meant he was dropped to the bench. The Pole has only made 17 appearances in the Premier League this term, with David Ospina being impressive in his place. Many don’t believe Ospina is a long-term solution for the club, thought, and they are now on the lookout for a new shot-stopper.
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It does seem highly unlikely that the Blues would sell such an important player to the team who have challenged them for the title this year. Mourinho has always been very clever when he has sold other players – Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Saloman Kalou were all sold overseas so they couldn’t do any damage against their former club in the Premier League.
Former assistant manager Ray Wilkins is adamant that they will do the same again with Petr Cech. He said: “If you look at Chelsea’s actions over the last few years, I am sure Jose Mourinho will do the same with Petr Cech.”
Cech has been at Stamford Bridge since 2004 and has won four Premier League titles and the Champions League with the London club, but it is now time for him to move on. While no one believes he could really head to the Emirates, Arsenal are extremely confident that Cech will be allowed to join them in the summer.
It is understood that the Czech has been given permission to speak with the Gunners, and if he is allowed to go it will be one of the most shocking signings in recent years.
The Special One has never before allowed his key players to go to a rival club but speaking after they were crowned champions he told reporters that this team was better than the one that had won the league with him back in 2005 and 2006. He said: “We’ve shown everything since day one.
“Everything football demands from a team we have had. We had fantastic attacking football, fantastic domination, high percentages of ball possession, low percentages when we let the opposition have the ball strategically and times when we have defended amazingly well.
“We did everything the team needs to do. That’s why we’re champions.”
If Mourinho is so confident that his team are the best and they are already looking at bringing in even more star quality then he should sell his goalkeeper to Arsenal.
It would be a way of showing the rest of the Premier League just how confident they are. Jose likes to be brash and he has never been afraid of saying what he thinks before, so why stop now?
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