Petr Cech has completed his transfer to Arsenal from the Premier League champions, Chelsea after 11 years and more than 400 appearances for the Stamford Bridge club.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper has agreed a long-term contract with Arsenal and moves across London for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £11m after the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich gave the transfer his blessing.
The Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, said: “Petr Cech is a player that I have admired for a long time and I am very pleased that he has decided to join us. He has proven over many seasons that he is one of the outstanding keepers in the world and he will add great strength to our squad.”
Cech, who wrote a personal message to Chelsea supporters explaining his decision to leave and posted it Twitter, said: “I’m really excited about joining Arsenal Football Club and can’t wait to join up for pre-season. I have the same commitment to football, the same motivation and the same hunger for success as I had at the beginning of my career, and I love the challenges brought by the top quality players you face while playing in the Premier League. When Arsène Wenger spoke to me about his ambitions for this club, and how he saw me as part of this team, the decision was clear.”
While Arsenal have not disclosed the length of the contract or fee, reports suggest Cech has been signed for £10million and has penned a four-year deal.
Cech joined Chelsea from Rennes in July 2004 for £7million and went onto establish himself as one of their greatest goalkeepers of his generation.
He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and played key roles in helping them go all the way in the 2011/12 Champions League as well as the Europa League the following season.
But Cech, who was twice named in the PFA team of the year during his time at Chelsea, played understudy to Courtois last season and made just 15 appearances in all competitions, prompting his move to north London.
“I have the same commitment to football, the same motivation and the same hunger for success as I had at the beginning of my career, and I love the challenges brought by the top quality players you face while playing in the Premier League,” he said.
"When Arsene Wenger spoke to me about his ambitions for this club, and how he saw me as part of this team, the decision was clear."
Chelsea described the departing custodian as an “icon” on their official website, with Cech himself posting a lengthy letter to their supporters on his Twitter page.
“I thought this would never happen but it is time for me to say goodbye to Chelsea Football Club,” he wrote. “The club I have lived every single minute for since joining July 2004, the club in which I thought I’d hang my gloves and boots one day and finish my career. But life doesn’t always turn out the way you think it will.
“Last summer, things changed and I understood I was no longer the first choice keeper but I felt it was not the right time for me to go.
“During the season it became clear that my situation would not improve and as I know I am not at the stage of my career where I want to be on the bench, I made my decision to move on and look for new challenges.”
