The departure of Petr Cech has loomed large over Chelsea for the last few months but the Czech’s move to rivals Arsenal was finally completed on Monday.
With Thibaut Courtois as Chelsea’s permanent number one, the Blues need to sign a second-choice goalkeeper after Cech’s move and Asmir Begovic has emerged as the primary target. The Bosnian shot-stopper has been a consistent performer for Stoke City since joining in 2010 and qualifies as home-grown, ticking all the boxes for José Mourinho’s needs.
Begovic ticks all the boxes as a shrewd signing
The 28-year old is counted as home-grown because he joined Portsmouth at the age of 16 and has played in England since 2005. The Bosnian has proven to one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers and has made 171 Premier League appearances, even scoring the “longest goal ever” against Southampton in 2013.
Begovic is entering the final year of his current contract with The Potters and has yet to show signs of extending his stay at the Britannia Stadium. England's young international Jack Butland is emerging as the future first-choice at Stoke and could eventually seal Begovic’s departure - the Bosnian was unhappy that Butland featured in the final few fixtures of last term, suggesting the club had a readily-available, and capable replacement if Asmir opted to leave.
Perfect replacement for Cech, and younger too
He’s seen as the perfect replacement for Cech at Chelsea and the move would mark the Blues’ first major signing in a summer of strengthening for England’s top clubs. With title rivals strengthening elsewhere, Chelsea moving for Begovic may be the first of many possible changes in West London this summer.
There were possible choices elsewhere but Begovic is the stand-out star amongst the possible candidates, having been a regular in England’s top flight for five seasons now. With plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, the Bosnian is sure to be a success if he does complete a move to Stamford Bridge. If the two clubs agree a transfer fee on the switch; believed to be around £10million pounds, Begovic will be expected to play a role in Chelsea’s participation in four competitions.