Petr Cech
Chelsea are considering a surprise move for Petr Cech to replace Thibaut Courtois, who is likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. Real Madrid are expected to complete a deal for the latter, meaning Chelsea will need a first-choice goalkeeper for next season.
Concurrently, it is also being reported that Liverpool have agreed on a deal to sign Alisson from AS Roma, so the Blues probably won’t go down that route. This indicates the fact that a return could be on the cards for Cech.
At 36, the goalkeeper has the quality and agility to be a top-class custodian in a big club. He repeatedly proved his worth at the Emirates and it would be fitting if he plays his last games for a club he has represented over 300 times.
It would be a great move for Chelsea to sign an experienced goalkeeper, who has the know-how of Premier League football. It’s true that the deal will represent a short-term plan but the Blues could utilize all hands on deck.
New manager Maurizio Sarri is in dire need of someone who knows the club inside well and can also perform at an impeccable level.
Perusing through some of his stats from last season, the 36-year-old kept 8 clean sheets in 34 appearances in the league. Furthermore, he is a commanding keeper who can dominate his penalty box with ease, having an average cross-claim success of about 88%.
Cech is quite tall as well, which enables him to cover a large portion of the goal while making saves. He made an aggregate of 2.26 saves per game in the recent campaign. In addition, he recorded a distribution success rate of 73%.
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Hence, it would make sense if Chelsea lost Courtois and sign Cech instead. However, the Blues must keep tabs on a quality shot-stopper as Cech won’t play for many years. For now, he could be the ideal stop-gap replacement and probably help the new manager gel with the team by utilizing his experience and background knowledge of the club.
Stats Courtesy – Squawka.com
