PETR Cech has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, which keeps the 26-year-old goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge until 2013. The deal was completed late last week but announced as the team touched down yesterday in Guangzhou, China, for a pre-season tour of Asia.
The Czech international arrived in the summer of 2004 from Rennes and has made 115 appearances in four seasons with the west London side.
Cech, who has kept 90 clean sheets in 166 games for Chelsea, was thrilled to extend his contract. "It is a
n honour to be at a club like Chelsea and I am very happy to have renewed my contract with them," he said. "Chelsea has grown in my heart, not just because of my team-mates and all the people that work for the club, but also because of their fantastic fans."
Meanwhile Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has refuted claims from AC Milan that the Blues have tabled a "conspicuous offer" for midfielder Kaka and insists a move for the Brazilian playmaker is unlikely.
But while a deal for one Brazilian appears remote, Kenyon was more confident over Chelsea's on-going negotiations with Real Madrid over striker Robinho.
The 24-year-old was a key figure in Real's title-winning side last season, but has made it clear he wants to join his former national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at Stamford Bridge. "It is well noted we have shown interest," Kenyon added. "We have had discussions with Madrid over it and they are ongoing. The window is still open and we are still talking to Madrid." Two players have left Stamford Bridge, with Dutch international defender Khalid Boulahrouz completing his move to VfB Stuttgart, and French midfielder Claude Makelele joining Paul Le Guen's Paris St Germain.
But Scolari is adamant he will have Didier Drogba fit and ready for the start of the season despite the fact the Ivorian forward, who has been constantly linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, has not travelled to China.
"Didier is injured and the doctor and our medical staff put together a recuperation plan for him and he will be out for three weeks, maximum four weeks," said the 59-year-old Brazilian.
"It was impossible for him to come with us to China."
The full article contains 393 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
