adminLONDON. – Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was expected to undergo a medical at Arsenal yesterday ahead of his proposed move to the Emirates. Chelsea came to an agreement with the Gunners earlier this week to sell their second choice goalkeeper, who has made nearly 500 appearances for the club, to one of their closest rivals.
And now Cech was yesterday set to finalise the move after meeting with Arsenal doctors at a private facility, before being officially unveiled at the club.
Should all be successful, he was expected to be pictured with a Gunners shirt by the end of the day.
His first game for his new employers could be against Chelsea in the Community Shield season opener at Wembley in early August.
Cech’s deal is thought to be worth £100 000-a-week, making him the highest paid goalkeeper in the history of the club, as well as one of the highest paid in the Premier League.
In signing, he becomes Arsenal’s first signing of the summer, beating off competition from Paris Saint-Germain.
Cech is thought to have chosen a stay in London because his family are settled in the capital.
He lost his starting place in the Chelsea line-up early last season, as Belgian sensation Thibaut Courtois returned from loan at Atletico Madrid and proved to be one of the league’s top performers.
Cech subsequently only played a bit-part role in the season.
The Czech Republic international played just shy of 500 times for the reigning Premier League champions and crucially saved a penalty in the 2011 Champions League final shootout with Bayern Munich.
Cech is a four-time Premier League winner, four-time FA Cup winner, three-line League Cup winner and is one of few goalkeepers to win the Premier League player of the month award.
He was also most recently inducted into the PFA Team of the Year in 2014.
The 33-year-old’s arrival at the Emirates could open the exit for both Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina, who have been linked with moves away.
Szczesny is linked with a move to Roma but is thought to want to stay with Arsenal and fight for his place.
Ospina is close to a £4million switch to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are readying a £21,3 million bid for Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal.
The box-to-box midfielder is currently at the Copa America with hosts Chile and is highly rated within the Emirates.
And Spanish news outlet Fichajes.net is claiming Arsene Wenger will try to sign the midfielder this summer.
The website suggests that Vidal’s international team-mate Alexis Sanchez has been trying to persuade the Juve man to join him at the Emirates.
As if the Emirates faithful didn’t love Sanchez enough already.
Juventus though have already lost Carlos Tevez this summer, and will do all they can to hold onto one of their most prized assets.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is looking to add proven quality to his squad and has succeeded in a string of marquee signings in recent transfer windows.
And Vidal would certainly be an impressive swoop.
The 28-year-old had a fine career in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen before joining Juventus in 2011.
He has won the Serie A title on four occasion with Juve and was a Champions League finalist with them last term.
Arsenal are also planning a bid for Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to The Metro. – BBC Sport.
Online Reporter