Chelsea Transfer News: Petr Cech Advised to Leave by Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois has confirmed he would want to leave Chelsea if he was playing second fiddle to Petr Cech.

The Belgian stopper has pushed his team-mate to the bench this season after returning from a three-year loan spell with Atletico Madrid. Cech recently admitted he wants to "solve" the situation if it doesn't change, insinuating he wants to leave if playing time cannot be guaranteed.

Courtois suggests he would feel the same. 

"As a goalkeeper you want to play," he told Sky Sports. "If I was in that situation where I didn't play a lot, then I would leave too. I think Petr is still a goalkeeper with a lot of quality and one of the best there is."

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Cech recently resigned himself to being at the mercy of Chelsea, hinting he wouldn't break his contract to secure a transfer, as reported by Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard:

"

As concerns my future at Chelsea, it depends entirely on the club. Everyone is asking me what if and what will be. As a player who has two years left on the contract, I cannot make choices. If the club says, ‘you are staying’ then I will be staying. That’s why I’m staying.

"

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The stopper is yet to start a Premier League game this season, per WhoScored.com. He replaced an injured Courtois during the Oct. 5 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, but he has only played in cup competitions since.

The 32-year-old kept a clean sheet during the 6-0 win over Maribor before conceding against Shrewsbury in the Capital One Cup. His most recent appearance came during the 1-1 draw with the aforementioned Slovenian side on Nov. 5.

Three relatively low-key appearances in a month isn't enough for a player who racked up 44 appearances across the domestic division and Europe last season, again per WhoScored.com.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are among those considering a move, according to Johnson.

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"I hope Petr doesn’t want to leave," Mourinho was quoted in The Guardian at the start of the season, citing his ability to "rotate" goalkeepers as a key factor in ensuring his stay.

However, Courtois has received 1,104 minutes to Cech's 246 in the Premier League and Europe this season, per WhoScored.com. That gap is only likely to extend as the campaign progresses, too.

January will certainly be an interesting time for Cech, particularly if he continues to sit on the bench.

Mourinho brought him to the club and has the power to push him through the exit, despite the sentimentality of keeping his likeable character around west London. Ultimately, Cech doesn't have too many years left in the game, so needs to be playing regularly if he's going to remain at the top.