Arsenal Transfer News: Petr Cech Warning Sounded by Jose Mourinho to Gunners

Jose Mourinho has warned potential suitors of Petr Cech that "huge money" will need to be exchanged to land the Chelsea goalkeeper's signature.

Arsenal were previously reported to be considering a "summer bid," according to Matt Law of The Telegraph, but Mourinho suggests it won't be easy to lure the player away from Stamford Bridge. Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC tweeted the Portuguese manager's comments prior to Chelsea's fixture with West Ham on Wednesday:

Mourinho can be expected to deploy a thoroughly changed side from Sunday's Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham. Cech—who has remained on the periphery all season—replaced Thibaut Courtois for the Wembley win, but will most likely make way for the Belgian once more.

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The Blues' strength in depth is immeasurable in the Premier League, highlighted by Mourinho's decision to play Kurt Zouma in midfield during the Spurs win while Nemanja Matic served his suspension and John Obi Mikel continued to recover from injury. Incidentally, Mourinho believes the Nigerian will miss the next month, per Chelsea's official Twitter account:

Mourinho's deep access to quality puts him in a position of power regarding Cech's future. The veteran stopper's contract doesn't expire until the end of next season, so Arsenal would certainly need to pay well for his services. Mourinho previously sent Juan Mata to Manchester United for a hefty £37.1 million, but he doesn't often sell to rivals.

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He would be sure to charge the Gunners a pricey sum and can fall back on Cech's agreement to ensure the 32-year-old adds money to Chelsea's transfer funds, a vital achievement in this era of UEFA's financial fair play rules.

Arsene Wenger currently has decent options in David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny, while youngster Damian Martinez showed he is capable earlier in the season. Ospina's recent run in the side suggests Szczesny is most likely to make way, but the Colombian may be dropped for Cech if he makes the move across London.

The Czech Republic international is a calming leader, someone who has proven himself responsible with big performances when called upon during this campaign. He will let Chelsea make the ultimate decision on his future, telling CTK (h/t Sky Sports): "It is simple. If the club says, 'You are staying here,' then I will be staying."

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Wenger will be looking to make improvements during the summer. It seems Arsenal are destined to fall short of their Premier League and Champions League aspirations once more, with the FA Cup rapidly becoming their most obvious route to success.

Smart investments in proven players such as Cech, those who have won everything at the club level, could turn the club's fortunes around.