Petr Cech transfer news: Chelsea goalkeeper prepared to stay until the summer

Petr Cech is prepared to stay at Chelsea for the rest of the season because he wants to wait for a club that will sign him to be their first choice keeper.

Cech is expected to return back to the bench in the Champions League tonight, having started the last two group games, with Thibaut Courtois facing Schalke instead.

The 32-year-old has started just four games since Courtois was recalled from his three-year loan at Atletico Madrid this summer and boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed the veteran is frustrated by the situation.

Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris Saint Germain and Monaco are all interested in the Czech international, but currently have a recognised No1 in place.

They are unlikely to change the status quo mid-way through the campaign even though they want to sign Cech to increase competition for a first team role.

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But Cech is ready to bide his time, according to the Evening Standard, and his agent Viktor Kolar said: "In the football world you can never rule out anything definitively, however, if you put together the facts with Petr's ambitions of a top-class goalkeeper, you will not be left with too many options.

"If we add to this the actual little need of these few clubs to search a new goalkeeper in the winter's transfer window, then you will find out that the chance of a transfer in the next weeks or months is not very high."

Cech, who will miss out on the emotional encounter with former Chelsea and now Schalke boss Roberto di Matteo this evening, is also wanted by Besiktas.

The Turkish club have a partnership in place with the west London club and claim they have already agreed a deal to sign one un-named Chelsea player in January.

Misfit Mohamed Salah, who has started just eight games since an £11m move from Basle in January, is the one squad memmber expected to be moved on in the new year.

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Besiktas club president Fikret Orman said: “We are going to make a few signings during the transfer window. We will sign a right-back and a centre-back, both will be foreign also we will invest in a young forward.

"We are working together with Chelsea to sign a player. We have not held talks yet however, Chelsea have recently made an agreement with Besiktas.

“If Cech does become available I would support such a move.”

Chelsea take on Schalke knowing they need a victory to cement their place in the last 16 with a game to spare.

The reunion with Di Matteo, who led Chelsea to the Champions League as manager two years ago, has dominated the build-up.

But Mourinho has urged his players to focus on the task at hand and said: "If we lose two matches we go to the Europa League. It makes no sense to speak about the last 16.

"We need points to carry on playing in the Champions League and that’s why we are here – to get the points.

"We have two matches to do it but obviously it would be better for us to qualify tonight.

"We have so many matches in December if we can avoid a crucial match to decide the qualification for the Champions League, if we can avoid that pressure, it would be very good for us."