Thibaut Courtois' 5-Year Deal Is Surely the End for Petr Cech at Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois has signed a new five-year contract at Chelsea, meaning he will remain at Stamford Bridge until at least 2019.

Chelsea announced the news on the official club website on Thursday.

"I'm very happy with this new deal, it's really nice to have signed this new contract for five years," Courtois told ChelseaFC.com.

"My future was already sorted, but it's nice to know I'm going to be here for another five years and now I can just concentrate on playing games."

One player who will not share Courtois' joy must surely be Petr Cech.

The Czech was replaced by Courtois as No. 1 at Stamford Bridge this summer, and now that his Belgian counterpart has extended his deal at Chelsea, it can only be bad news for his future.

Courtois had long been rumoured to be demanding a first-team place at Chelsea as reported by the Mirror, having returned from a three-year loan spell at Atletico Madrid that had seen his reputation soar.

He got his wish and a new contract with it—one that suggests things aren't going to change in Cech's favour anytime soon.

Indeed, whether or not Courtois received reassurances from the Chelsea hierarchy as to his status at the club before putting pen to paper, simply being offered his new contract is proof enough of the regard in which he is held.

Selecting Courtois to start the season against Burnley was a difficult decision for Mourinho.

"I've known Petr for 10 years," Mourinho said in the aftermath of Courtois' debut. "I know he will not relax. He will not sit in a chair and say he has no chance. He's the opposite."

In that press conference, the Chelsea manager carried a sombre tone almost. He gave us an insight to his relationship with Cech, outlining his respect for him and his desire to see him remain at the club.

For all the words he spoke, however, Mourinho gave the impression the curtain had finally come down on Cech's Stamford Bridge career.

He wouldn't have enjoyed being the man who made that decision, especially after everything he had been through with Cech since they arrived in west London together.

He was the goalkeeper who helped deliver league titles, suffered at the hands of controversy and put his body on the line in the name of Mourinho's cause.

Mourinho is a manager who shares a strong bond with almost every player he coaches, so to tell Cech he was now being replaced by a player 10 years his junior would have been a bitter pill to swallow for both men.

Part of Moruinho's greatness is his ability to look at the bigger picture. He identifies areas where changes are needed and rarely questions his judgement.

This summer, he allowed Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole to leave Chelsea, probably not through choice, but more necessity.

And now, it's the turn of Cech, only his departure will be dragged out until at least January when the transfer window re-opens.

Chelsea are evolving, the changes that need to be made are happening, and Cech has become one of the casualties of that.

He was once Chelsea's future, yet for all he has achieved, that status belongs to Courtois now.

After his success in Madrid, Courtois knows he is too good to warm a bench—he's won trophies and has been a vital component in the teams that have lifted them.

Why should he accept being No. 2? The simple answer is that he shouldn't.

Chelsea were faced with a conundrum with their goalkeepers; should they make a decision based on sentiment or one with the future in mind?

They opted for the latter, the right choice.

Either way, they would lose one, and Courtois' new five-year deal is confirmation that it's Cech who will be missing out.

*All quotes taken firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes