Petr Cech to Arsenal: Chelsea goalkeeping coach confirms Cech wants to join Gunners to leave David Ospina future in doubt
Cech's arrival for around £11m would see either Ospina or Wojciech Szczesny sold this summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon has confirmed that Petr Cech wants to join Arsenal should he leave the Blues this summer, with the Premier League champions unlikely to stand in his way should an acceptable offer be received.
Cech is set to leave Chelsea this summer after falling behind Thibaut Courtois in Jose Mourinho’s pecking order, and the likelihood is that he will join Arsenal in order to keep his family settled in London.
The Blues would rather sell to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who are interested in Cech but have been put off by his preference to remain in the Premier League, and it appears that there is little chance of him moving anywhere outside of the capital after Lollichon confirmed the Gunners hold the advantage.
"I think [Cech] still has three or four excellent seasons in him,” said Lollichon.
“His family like England. And a player is happy when his family is happy.
“He wants to stay in England, but I don't know where are the discussions. The Premier League is his primary objective. But it will also depends on the conditions .
”The advantage is that Arsenal is a top club, with a philosophy that pleases him and that is at London. It is a base for consideration."
Cech is believed to have informed the club yesterday that he wants to join Arsenal in order to secure more first team football. Having arrived back from international duty with the Czech Republic, Arsenal are confident that they can secure a move for Cech before the end of the week, though that will depend on Chelsea’s decision to effectively strengthen a rival.
Arsenal have struggled to find a goalkeeper of world class quality since Jens Lehmann departed, and having seen Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski struggle to convince in recent years, the current options of Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina have failed to instil the Emirates faithful with confidence throughout last season.
Ospina did usurp Szczesny as Wenger’s No 1 following the Pole’s poor form and well publicised indiscretions with smoking in the changing room after the 2-0 New Year’s Day defeat to Southampton. The Colombian looked a more assured pair of hands when he came into the side, although his form wavered towards the end of the season with the 26-year-old at fault for Swansea’s winner in the 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.
Currently on Copa America duty with Colombia, Ospina could find himself ousted as the first-choice goalkeeper when he returns to the club should Cech join, and with Szczesny determined to remain at the Emirates, it could see his future thrown into severe doubt just a season after joining the club from French side Nice.
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