The manager of the Belgian national football team, Marc Wilmots, reckons that Petr Cech would be put on sale by the Chelsea management during the pre-season transfer window.
There have been reports in English media in the last few weeks that Thibaut Courtois, the Belgian shot stopper, would be the first choice for the Blues boss Jose Mourinho in the upcoming season.
Courtois had actually been signed by Chelsea in 2011, but, he had been playing in the Spanish top tier for Atletico Madrid on loan since the past 3 seasons.
With his performance there, he caught the eyes of Mourinho and he has been asked to join his parent club this summer.
As far as Cech is concerned, he’s been at the top of the pecking order for Chelsea since the last 10 years or so, but, he is unlikely to recover from his shoulder operation in the next couple of months which means that he would probably not be available for the pre-season tours. This is also one of the reasons why Courtois has been called back from Spain.
If Courtois is Mourinho’s no. 1 for the next season, then, Wilmots’ reckoning about Cech appears to be right.
Talking to the reporters yesterday about the situation of the goalkeepers at Chelsea, Wilmots said, “Thibaut would be in England this summer. So, I think they would be looking to get rid of Cech.”
Meanwhile, Courtois is not the only player who would be joining Chelsea from Atletico Madrid this summer. A couple of other members of the La Liga Champions’ squad i.e. Tiago Mendes (Portuguese midfielder) and Diego Costa (Spanish striker) are also expected to make their way to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had finished third under Mourinho in the Premier League last season.