Why Petr Cech Is a Dream Summer Transfer Target for Arsenal

If Arsenal can lure Petr Cech across London, it will be the transfer coup of the summer. Arsene Wenger’s dream signing is seemingly edging toward becoming a reality. According to Sky Sports, the move is close to completion. If Cech does arrive from Chelsea, he will plug the largest remaining gap in this improving Arsenal side.

Had you conducted a straw poll among Arsenal fans about the one position the Gunners needed to strengthen at the end of last season, the results would  have been overwhelming. As debate raged over which of Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina should start the FA Cup final, what became undeniably clear was that Arsenal do not have an undisputed No. 1.

For a club of their size and ambition, it’s a strange position to be in. Goalkeeper is one of the most crucial positions on the field. The incumbent can make the difference between points won and lost with one glorious save or one glaring error.

It’s not a role where you can take any chances. And yet, it’s an area where Wenger appears to have had a curious blind spot.

When he arrived at Arsenal, he was fortunate to inherit David Seaman. Seaman was the outstanding English goalkeeper of his generation, and he could only be matched by Peter Schmeichel in the Premier League.

However, such was Wenger’s reliance on Seaman that he arguably clung on to him for too long. The likes of Alex Manninger and Richard Wright were recruited as potential replacements, but neither showed the consistency required to be No. 1 on a permanent basis.

When Seaman eventually moved on, Wenger pulled a masterstroke, signing veteran German Jens Lehmann as his successor. Lehmann had the experience and personality to take the role in stride, thriving on the pressure and enjoying an unbeaten campaign in his first season of English football. He wasn’t faultless—a short fuse led to moments of recklessness—but technically, he was superb.

It was when Lehmann went into decline that things turned sour. Manuel Almunia was promoted from understudy to leading man, despite having had a relatively mediocre career. He never seemed a credible candidate for the goalkeeping jersey, frequently revealing weakness in dealing with crosses into the box and shots at his near post.

Although he seems to be establishing himself as a Premier League performer with Swansea, Lukasz Fabianski suffered similar issues in an Arsenal shirt. For years, his problem was seemingly one of confidence: Every time he took the field, he seemed to make a notable error that undermined any progress he was making.

Szczesny was initially hailed as the man to end Arsenal’s wait for a goalkeeping solution, but despite his enormous potential, he has not advanced as many expected him to. When you look at the strides someone like David De Gea has made in a similar space of time, it’s clear that Szczesny is falling behind.

Questions have been raised about the quality of Arsenal’s goalkeeping coaching, and it’s possible that the departure of current trainer Tony Roberts to Swansea (per BBC) will begin a process of evolution in that area.

However, recruitment appears to have been the bigger issue. Wenger has turned out plenty of rough diamonds when it’s come to spotting attackers, but he hasn't had the same knack at the other end of the pitch. Richard Wright remains the most expensive goalkeeper in Arsenal’s history, and he arrived 14 years ago for a paltry £6 million.

In some respects, you can sympathise with the Arsenal boss: How many truly world-class goalkeepers are available to buy? This summer seems somewhat anomalous, as De Gea’s likely move to Real Madrid (h/t Sid Lowe of the Guardian) seems set to spark a goalkeeping transfer merry-go-round.

Cech’s situation is somewhat separate, though. With Thibaut Courtois taking over the No. 1 shirt at Stamford Bridge, he was always going to press for a move this summer. Under normal circumstances, it would be unthinkable to allow Cech to join a rival club, but it seems that Chelsea are prepared to reward his loyalty with the choice of his ultimate destination.

That suits Arsenal down to the ground.

In some respects, the signing would be reminiscent of Lehmann’s arrival. Like the German, Cech would turn up at Arsenal with the confidence of a man who has been at the top of the game for years. He's a Champions League winner who has secured multiple Premier League titles.

There would be no debate about the goalkeeping hierarchy at Arsenal. It would be Cech first, then everyone else scrapping beneath him.

However, Cech's personality is not the same as Lehmann's. The German was something of a maverick, whereas Cech is often credited as one of the leaders in the Chelsea dressing room. Arsenal are occasionally accused of lacking characters who cope well with pressure, and Cech’s arrival would go some way toward resolving that issue.

It would be a piece of business akin to Manchester United’s decision to sign Edwin van der Sar in 2005. Cech is now 33, while the Dutchman was 34 when he moved to Old Trafford. As in Cech’s case, there had been whispers Van der Sar was over the hill, but he disproved those by becoming an integral part of United’s side.

Goalkeepers can play late into their 30s, and buying Cech could offer Arsenal both a mid-term and short-term solution.

Losing Cech would hurt Chelsea in a number of ways. It would rob them of a superb player and strip them of a club icon. However, what would hurt most would be to see him join Arsenal. Despite his age, the Blues would be acutely aware that they had just massively strengthened a major rival.

 

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2015-16 season. Follow him on Twitter here.