Petr Cech's future: It's a pity to leave, but a sin to keep

Thibaut Courtois's growing presence in Chelsea's goal has led to Petr Cech wanting to leave in the upcoming winter transfer window. How will Stamford Bridge's team solve this problem?

In fact, rumors about the Czech goalkeeper's future became more intense when coach Jose Mourinho announced at the beginning of the season that the number one choice for the goalkeeper position at Chelsea was Courtois.

Attractive offers for Cech

The 22-year-old has started every Premier League game for Chelsea this season, leaving Cech on the bench. In the Champions League, the chances are equal for both players, with the two League Cup games all going to Cech.

During the recent international break, Cech and Courtois both played for the Czech Republic and Belgium. Both are world-class goalkeepers, one at the peak of his career, the other still has plenty of time to develop.

Chelsea are having a headache keeping both Cech and Courtois happy.

There was no doubt about Mourinho’s decision to start with Courtois. But the 2-0 win over Arsenal in October highlighted the importance of Chelsea having a quality back-up goalkeeper in case the worst happened. When Courtois was forced off after a collision with Alexis Sanchez, Cech came on and Chelsea carried on as if nothing had happened.

Chelsea fans are still proud of the Czech goalkeeper: “We still have Cech”. But how long will that joy last? There are many teams interested in the 32-year-old goalkeeper, most recently Arsenal, Roma and Besiktas. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Chelsea will need to be decisive with Cech under pressure from UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. If Arsenal are willing to match the Czech's £100,000-a-week wages, a move to their cross-city rivals should not be a problem, given that the Cech family have been based in England for over a decade.

Cech's departure is Chelsea's mistake?

Cech is of course in no rush to talk about his future: “People are asking me what will happen. With two years left on my contract with Chelsea, I cannot choose for myself. If Chelsea says I have to stay here, I will accept that.”

Despite defending Courtois, Mourinho did not hide his determination to keep Cech: "I hope Cech does not leave. To be exact, I hope that day does not come, for the good of the team."

With Chelsea likely to be split between domestic and European competition for the remainder of the season, the Portuguese tactician is keen to emphasise the benefits of having a number of quality players competing for places.

“I can rotate the goalkeeper position. I have no problem with Cech in some games, regardless of the competition. If I have to make a rotation decision, the goalkeeper position is the easiest choice. We have two of the three best goalkeepers in the world,” he added.

Asked about the Cech rumours, Courtois seemed to speak from the perspective of a young player desperate to prove himself, rather than looking at the bigger picture over a long season: “As a goalkeeper, you need to play. If I were in Cech’s position, I would leave.”

There's no denying Chelsea are firmly at the top of the Premier League table. But the game against Arsenal was proof that injuries can knock on the door of any position.

The last thing Mourinho wants is a crisis at the goalkeeper position. Cech may not be happy being a back-up to Courtois, and Wenger will make an offer in January. But with Schwarzer, a 42-year-old third-choice goalkeeper, Chelsea would be wrong to let Cech go.

According to TT&VH