Predicting an Ideal Summer Transfer Scenario for Chelsea and Petr Cech
All good things must come to an end, and that's how it seems for Petr Cech at Chelsea.
The Czech stopper has enjoyed a phenomenal decade in west London, winning every major honour in England and Europe.
With the emergence of Thibaut Courtois as the Stamford Bridge No. 1, it's brought about a premature end to Cech's Chelsea career, though.
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Widely regarded as being among the world's finest goalkeepers, Cech's problem is more to do with his age than his talent.
At 32, Cech is nine years Courtois' senior, so logic dictates Jose Mourinho builds for the future, with the latter being at the heart of his plans.
Courtois' talent is such that the 23-year-old would command a place in most teams across Europe, and put simply, Mourinho couldn't risk losing him.
Chelsea and Cech find themselves in a rare situation. Neither wants to follow through on a conscious uncoupling—a 12-month standoff on his future confirmation of that—but for the benefit of both, a summer transfer is looking more likely the best option.
It will give Cech an opportunity to rebuild his career, while the potential £10 million fee that has been widely reported will add significant funds to Chelsea's transfer coffers to allow Mourinho to strengthen in other areas.
Key to the development of this Chelsea team is finding an attacking midfielder to complement Eden Hazard, while another central midfielder to bolster the squad would add the depth Mourinho has lacked in 2014/15.
Despite Chelsea's reputation as being among the money men of English football, Mourinho has fielded the least players in England this term—less than their rivals and Burnley, QPR and Hull City, who all find themselves either relegated or in the bottom three.
Chelsea are the Premier League champions, yet Mourinho's concern will be how his team failed in the Champions League.
They remained undefeated in Europe all season, but against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea were bossed out of their last-16 tie.
Chelsea contained PSG at the Parc des Princes, yet in the return leg a lightweight midfield was outmuscled by the Ligue 1 champions, despite them being down to 10 men.
That's an important combat zone for Mourinho's teams and is a key fundamental of the way he sets up. There's always room for style, although the physicality of Mourinho's sides is their strongest asset.
Their strength is their strength, you might say.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be eased into that position next year, but there's still a place in the squad for another midfielder of that ilk to complement the youngster and Nemanja Matic.
When Mourinho looked to his bench against PSG, the options weren't there to match Laurent Blanc's men in the physical battle where Cesc Fabregas and Oscar were losing out.
Ultimately, that is what won PSG the tie, and Chelsea must address it.
The troublesome No. 10 position is another key area. It's evident Oscar cannot last a full campaign, but regardless of that fact, Chelsea must still strengthen as the restructuring under Mourinho has meant they're looking rather threadbare.
Hazard is the focal point of Chelsea's attacking movement and returning that PSG game again, a concerted effort to nullify his threat means Chelsea can look one-dimensional and ineffective.
Not all teams are capable of pulling that off, but those at the highest level are, which PSG demonstrated.
Winning back-to-back Premier League titles will be a priority for Chelsea in 2015/16, as will lifting the Champions League for a second time—or the first under Mourinho.
To achieve those targets, the club must be as prudent as they have been in recent transfer windows. Last summer, they acted quick in bringing in their targets, and a similar approach will be required again.
Chelsea are eager to operate within the boundaries of Financial Fair Play, which the sale of David Luiz before the 2014 World Cup for £50 million allowed them to.
On the back of that deal, they signed Fabregas and Diego Costa.
The funds raised from Cech's sale won't stretch as far, but they will contribute nonetheless.
That's where Chelsea's transfer policy has worked in more recent times—moving on peripheral players for significant fees that have been reinvested in areas where they are needed.
A swift move will also help Cech, as the uncertainty over his future hasn't helped.
The big question is where is he headed.
A player of his qualities deserves Champions League football, which limits the number of clubs that will be interested in him.
Arsenal remain keen admirers, according to The Telegraph, while the Mirror reports Turkish giants Besiktas could be a possible destination.
On a personal level, remaining in London would probably suit Cech. It's where he's lived since his early twenties and with a young family to consider, a move to Turkey could be off limits.
The Turkish League hardly matches the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, also. Often we see players move there to finish their careers, and Cech is in no position to do that just yet.
Do Chelsea want to see Cech lining up against them for a rival? The club didn't mind selling Juan Mata to Manchester United in January 2014, but the £37.1 million fee they received did enough to ease any concerns in that area.
The figures for Cech aren't as significant, so it's going to become a balancing act—getting the money they want while also making good on a player who has served them so well.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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