adminLONDON. — Petr Cech could be joined at Arsenal by Chelsea coach Christophe Lollichon. The long-serving Blues keeper is closing on a £10m move to the Emirates despite Jose Mourinho’s reluctance at the move. Cech is homing in on a £10million move to Arsenal – in defiance of his Chelsea boss Mourinho.
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is confident of completing the deal, with the two clubs are understood to be close to an agreement which could be rubber-stamped within the next couple of days.
Blues legend Cech (33) has been granted his wish of a move across London, despite Mourinho’s public reluctance to see him join one of his Premier League champions’ direct title rivals.
The keeper is believed to have wanted guarantees he will be Arsenal’s new No.1 if he joins them.
Wenger has agreed to the demand, and that almost certainly spells the end for Colombia World Cup keeper David Ospina after just one season with the Londoners.
And Arsenal could also swoop for Lollichon, who has been Cech’s mentor at Stamford Bridge since 2007.
The Daily Mirror report that the club’s keeper coach Tony Roberts is moving to Swansea, which opens the door for Cech’s pal to join.
It is claimed that senior goalkeeping trainer Gerry Peyton’s future at the club could also be under threat.
Earlier this week Lollichon hinted that Cech was closing on a move to the Gunners.
He said: “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. Tottenham? I do not think they have the same ambitions as Arsenal.
“Petr wants to break a record of the clean sheets in the Premier League.
“At 33, he still has at least three or four excellent seasons at the high level.”
Meanwhile, Jackson Martinez has hailed Arsenal as a “great” club ahead of potential move to the Emirates.
The £25m-rated Porto star is expected to complete a move to his new club in the coming weeks, but it is unsure what club he will join. The player’s agent recently revealed that Martinez is very close to securing a move to one of Europe’s top sides but declined to say which.
Arsenal are hot favourites to land the Colombian and the deal looks even more likely given the player’s recent comments.
He said in an interview to A Bola: “I’ve always had two players I’ve admired above all others: (Luis) Ronaldo and Henry. So I’m very happy he made that comment about me.
“Arsenal are a great team, playing in one of the best leagues in the world.
“I’m still waiting to see what the future holds. It’s not known yet but it will be known soon.
“For now I’m fully focused in the Copa America. Every player’s dream is to play where they can feel well and enjoy football, and that’s my dream too.
“Whether it’s in England, Italy or Spain, the most important thing is that my family and I both feel well and I can enjoy my football.”
And Arsenal have been given the green light to sign Karim Benzema this summer. The Gunners have long been admirers for the French superstar and have been handed a major boost in their pursuit due to finical problems at Real Madrid.
Real are looking at a couple of mega-bucks deals this summer and need to free up funds to complete those blockbuster signings. The La Liga giants have been eyeing Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba for several weeks while new boss Rafa Benitez is keen on a move for Manchester City star Sergio Aguero. — The Daily Star
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