Chelsea Transfers: Monaco And Paris St Germain Enter Race For Petr Cech

Two French suitors come calling for in-demand Chelsea keeper.

By Xander Markham /

Monaco and Paris St Germain have joined the hunt for Chelsea's disgruntled goalkeeper, Petr Cech, who was relegated to the bench in favour of Thibaut Courtois for the team's Premier League victory over Burnley last Monday. While Jose Mourinho has repeatedly stated his wish for both keepers to stay at the club and fight for their place, the situation is complicated by his need to sell one foreign player from his squad in order to comply with Premier League quotas. Having been Chelsea's first choice for over a decade, Cech was left disappointed not only to lose his place to his young rival, but also in Mourinho's refusal to inform him ahead of time. With Cech now 32 years old, Chelsea may see now as the ideal time to cash in on the veteran keeper before his form and value start to decline. Real Madrid were heavily linked with Cech earlier in the summer, though the signing of Keylor Navas seems to have cancelled any plans to make an offer. Barcelona also showed tentative interest following the contract expiry of Victor Valdes, but opted for Chile's World Cup stopper Claudio Bravo and German prospect Marc Andre ter Stegen instead. Paris St Germain and Monaco are the latest clubs reportedly considering an offer for Cech, with The Telegraph reporting that both are preparing to offer a loan move for the season. While this could be of long-term benefit to Chelsea should Thibaut Courtois not hit the same heights of excellence as he did last season for Atletico Madrid, it's more likely the club will push for a permanent transfer and a fee of around £10 million.