Asmir Begovic to Chelsea: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic from Stoke City as a replacement for the recently departed Petr Cech.  

Begovic has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League champions and will provide competition for Blues No. 1 Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge.

The official Chelsea website confirmed the transfer on Monday:

The transfer brings to an end a five-and-a-half-year spell for Begovic with the Potters—he moved from Portsmouth in February 2010—during which time he has established himself as a top-quality Premier League goalkeeper.

However, he has big shoes to fill as a replacement for Cech, a man who won four Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy in over a decade in west London ahead of his recent move to Arsenal.

Last season, though, Cech made only seven Premier League appearances, per WhoScored.com. This is because he played as deputy to Courtois, a role Begovic will now fill.

Having been the undisputed No. 1 at Stoke for some time, the Bosnian will have to get used to playing second fiddle at Chelsea.

Some may question the wisdom of the move by the 28-year-old given his game time will most certainly be reduced under manager Jose Mourinho.

However, he will likely be given a run-out on occasion in the cup competitions—and perhaps in the Champions League—and he will have a terrific opportunity to win trophies, something he never achieved at Stoke.

The Blues have done well to replace Cech with such a high-quality goalkeeper as they continue to have a reliable back-up for the excellent Courtois, should the Belgian pick up an injury.