How long can Petr Cech stay at Chelsea?

Has the time come for Petr Cech to take the final bow at Stamford Bridge ?

The 32-year-old Petr Cech has dropped down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge following the return of Thibaut Courtois from the loan spell at Atletico Madrid. Courtois has been in great from for the Blues this season and this has made Cech play second fiddle to the Belgian international .

Cech has played just one Premier League game this term, coming on as a substitute for the injured Courtois in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the beginning of October.He has also made two Capital One Cup and two Champions League appearances this season and may feature against Sporting Lisbon next Wednesday, with the Blues having already qualified for the knock-out stages.

Petr Cech's legacy at Chelsea

Petr Cech is Chelsea legend . He received the individual award of Best Goalkeeper in the 2004–05,2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons of the UEFA Champions League. He joined Chelsea in 2004 and, to date, has made over 450 appearances for the club, putting him sixth in the club’s all-time appearances list.

With Chelsea, Cech has won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three Football League Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Champions League.Cech holds a number of goalkeeping records, including the Premier League record for fewest appearances required to reach 100 clean sheets, having done so in 180 league appearances.

He went 1,025 minutes without conceding a goal, a Premier League record since surpassesd by Manchester United's Edwin Van Der Sar. He has also won the Golden Glove three times; in the 2004–05, 2009–10 and 2013–14, as the Premier League goalkeeper with the most clean sheets.

Chelsea have probably found an able successor to Cech in Thibaut Courtois but only time will tell if the young Belgian is as good as Cech was in his prime.

Petr is our goalkeeperas as of now: Jose Mourinho

Manager Jose Mourinho claims the demands of the club this term call for two world-class goalkeepers in his squad but Cech's peripheral role so far this season has heightened talk of a winter exit.

Mourinho said in November 'I have zero proposals. At this moment, Petr Cech is our goalkeeper and has a contract for two more years.He's a fantastic professional and puts the team's interests first. Not once has Petr Cech knocked on my door to inform me of his desire to accept some proposal. This is the truth. Nothing more I can say.'

The Blues boss also insisted he wanted to keep Cech and that even if the 32-year-old might be unhappy at his change in status “the Chelsea fans will be happy, and they’re more important than any player”.

Cech’s representative Viktor Kolar says Cech will be staying put until at least the end of the season.

With Thibaut Courtois having secured the regular starting job at Chelsea, and recently extended his contract, it does make some sense that the club would look to cash in on their long-time goalkeeper, rather than letting him run down his contract while warming the bench.

Cech has already been linked to AC Milan ,Liverpool , Arsenal , Paris St. Germain , Inter Milan and most recetly AS Roma . The player and the club would most likely consider an offer that would come their way .He may fetch Chelsea something around £10 million .

Petr Cech, not one to want to warm benches, would want to finish with a flourish and the club which acquires him would most certainly start the Czech Republic international . If the move does not happen in the winter transfer window , it would most certainly happen at the end of the season . It's not a question of if, but when .

Petr Cech is too good a player to remain on the Chelsea bench beyond this season.