Special One wants to keep the vastly experienced keeper as back-up for Thibaut Courtois and if he can’t do that he’d prefer him to move abroad.
Jose Mourinho has made an impassioned plea for Roman Abramovich not to sell Any of his title-winning squad.
Chelsea boss Mourinho insists he even wants the club to hang onto goalkeeper Petr Cech against the player’s will and is adamant the Stamford Bridge stalwart must not head to a Premier League rival, with Arsenal known to be keen on him.
Since the Special One’s return to the club in 2013, Chelsea have cashed in on front-line players Juan Mata, David Luiz and Andre Schurrle so they could comply with Financial Fair Play rules.
But he now claims the time for such selling must stop and that the Blues must strengthen this close-season in order to retain their newly-won Premier League crown.
Mourinho has previously indicated he would make an exception for 32-year-old Cech, and allow the four-time title winner to move on in search of regular first-team football now that Thibaut Courtois is established as No 1.
But on Friday, the Portuguese admitted: “If it was me? If it was my decision? The decision is Petr to stay. That’s it. It would be my decision for Petr to stay.”
Asked ‘Even against his will?’, Mourinho confirmed “Yes.
“I think that the club is more important than the player and, as was true this season, the club needs two very good goalkeepers. Without Petr this season, I don’t think the club would be champions because he played six important matches in the Premier League and without these points we probably wouldn’t be champions.”
“For me, decision No. 1 is that Petr will stay. After that, the second point would be for him to go but not in England. The option I don’t want is for him to go to an English club.”
“But I am just the manager and he means so much for this club and what he did in this club, I think he deserves everything from this club. One thing is Jose Mourinho, another is Mr Abramovich and another thing is the board, because the board is a little bit of me and a little bit of other people.”
“If the club decision is different to mine, I will accept it.”