With it now appearing likely that Thibaut Courtois will link up with Real Madrid this summer, Chelsea are eying up a sensational move for former Blues hero Petr Cech as his replacement.
Courtois has just one year remaining on his deal at Stamford Bridge and has yet to sign a new deal. With the Spanish giants are looking for a new shot-stopper to replace Keylor Navas, the Belgian World Cup Golden Glove recipient is top of their hit list. In addition to Real being European champions, the 26-year-old’s children also reside in Madrid, which could make the Spanish capital an even more appealing destination.
Below are three reasons as to why Petr Cech would be the ideal replacement for Courtois should he depart in the coming weeks:
1. Experience
The 36-year-old Cech is regarded by most Chelsea fans as being a legend. During his time at Stamford Bridge, he notably won four Premier League titles and one Champions League. Cech is familiar with the atmosphere at Chelsea and he will not need to adapt as would a new keeper.
2. Affordability
Arsenal currently find themselves amidst their own goalkeeping crisis, although it’s more of an embarrassment of riches for the north London side. They have three quality ‘keepers in their squad in Cech, David Ospina and new recruit Bernd Leno. All three are capable of playing first-team football in the Premier League.
As Leno has only just arrived, it is likely that he will be part of the club’s first-team plans for the coming season. This means that the club will have to offload either one of Cech or Ospina. Cech will not be happy with being second choice and will surely be keen to return to Chelsea if he is promised first-team action.
If new Gunners manager Unai Emery does not decide to make Cech his first choice for next season, it is likely that he will be open to letting the veteran keeper move on.
3. Quality
Cech may be 36, but he is still a world-class keeper. Nowadays, many keepers also play into their early 40s, which means that he could still have a few good years left in him.
