Petr Cech has completed his protracted move to Arsenal on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee following 11 seasons and nearly 500 appearances with London rivals Chelsea.
Cech, 33, has been one of the mainstays of the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge, winning nearly every club honour with Chelsea along the way.
Having been a regular for 10 years, he found his playing time limited last season, losing his first-team spot to Thibaut Courtois. He had been expected to move on this summer, with Arsenal leading the chase for a couple of months.
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The Czech said: “I’m really excited about joining Arsenal Football Club and can’t wait to join up for pre-season.”
While Arsenal did not disclose the length of the contract or fee, reports suggest Cech was signed for £10 million (Dh57.9m) and penned a four-year deal.
Cech joined Chelsea from Rennes in July 2004 for £7m and established himself as one of the best keepers of his generation.
He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and played key roles in helping Chelsea go all the way in the 2011/12 Uefa Champions League as well as the Europa League the following season.
But Cech, who was twice named in the PFA team of the year while at Chelsea, played understudy to Courtois last season and made just 15 appearances in all competitions, prompting his move to Arsenal.
“I have the same commitment to football, the same motivation and the same hunger for success as I had at the beginning of my career, and I love the challenges brought by the top quality players you face while playing in the Premier League,” he said.
“When Arsene Wenger spoke to me about his ambitions for this club, and how he saw me as part of this team, the decision was clear.”
Chelsea described Cech as an “icon” on their official website, with Cech posting a long letter to their fans on his Twitter page.
“I thought this would never happen, but it is time for me to say goodbye to Chelsea Football Club,” he wrote. “The club I have lived every single minute for since joining July 2004, the club in which I thought I’d hang my gloves and boots one day and finish my career. But life doesn’t always turn out the way you think it will.
“Last summer, things changed and I understood I was no longer the first-choice keeper, but I felt it was not the right time for me to go.
“During the season it became clear that my situation would not improve, and as I know I am not at the stage of my career where I want to be on the bench, I made my decision to move on and look for new challenges.”
Cech will face competition from Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina for the starting job at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed his delight at his latest acquisition, saying: “Petr Cech is a player that I have admired for a long time and I am very pleased that he has decided to join us.
“He has proven over many seasons that he is one of the outstanding keepers in the world and he will add great strength to our squad.”
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