Petr Cech leading Chelsea’s ‘charm offensive’ for Ter Stegen as Blues eye transfer for Barcelona star
PETR CECH is reportedly leading Chelsea’s “charm offensive” for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The German stopper, 28, could be nearing the Nou Camp exit door as he enters the final two years of his contract.
It is understood that the Blues have submitted an offer to Barca to replace flop shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
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According to ESPN, Cech has significantly helped with transfer negotiations as he views Ter Stegen as an “outstanding goalkeeper” and “leader”.
The West London icon was appointed to the role of technical and performance adviser last summer.
And it has been claimed that he also helped entice Timo Werner to Stamford Bridge when he made an “undercover” trip to Germany before lockdown.
Chelsea had also flown out Cech to Germany to hold “face-to-face talks” with Bayer Leverkusen over £70m ace Kai Havertz.
Bayern Munich are also in the running to sign Ter Stegen, But according to Mundo Deportivo, the four-time LaLiga winner is poised to commit his future to Barcelona.
They say Ter Stegen is close to signing a five-year deal in Catalonia.
It has been suggested that only personal terms need to be agreed between the two parties.
Ter Stegen told Kicker: “It’s not possible that I’ll leave this summer.
“There were some initial meetings between my agent and the club [regarding a renewal]. Then the virus got in the way and it wasn’t the moment to talk about a contract.
“At a time when many people were concerned for their lives, we decided to postpone it.”
The German stopper and his partner have recently had a baby son and he said: “I feel good in Barcelona, also because my family feel good.”
Frank Lampard is desperate to offload flop goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who cost the club a world-record £71.6m.
The Spaniard has been kept out of the team by veteran back-up Willy Caballero at times this term.
Chelsea are among the teams monitoring Dean Henderson’s situation at Manchester United and are reported to be willing to more than double his wages.
Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak is also a top goalkeeper target for the Blues this summer, according to reports.
Oblak, 27, has a £120million buy-out clause in the contract he signed last summer, which runs until 2023.
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Chelsea are said to value him at less than £100m and hope they could use Kepa as part of the payment.
The LaLiga side would likely prefer to hold on to Oblak given that he is widely considered the best goalkeeper in the world.
But a cash injection after the coronavirus pandemic might come in handy for the Champions League quarter-finalists.