Chelsea will offer Petr Cech a route back to Stamford Bridge after the goalkeeper announced his retirement.
The Arsenal keeper - who holds the Premier League’s all-time clean sheet record with 202 - revealed on Tuesday that he will hang up his gloves at the end of the season after a medal-laden 20 year career.
And Stamford Bridge chiefs are ready to make an approach to Cech in an effort to bring him back ‘home’.
Chelsea - who paid tribute to their former keeper on Tuesday despite the fact he no longer plays for the club - would look to offer Cech an ambassadorial role, or a coaching position, potentially within the club’s academy.
It remains to be seen whether the 36-year-old would be willing to accept such roles.
The keeper - widely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers of the Premier League era - has started his coaching badges with a view to a possible management career.
Cech will make a decision on his next step towards the end of the season.
Having lost his place to Bernd Leno at the Emirates Stadium, Cech has taken the decision to end his career with his reputation as one of the top-flight’s best-ever in tact.
In announcing his pending retirement, Cech wrote: ‘This is my 20th season as a professional player and it has been 20 years since I signed my first professional contract, so it feels like the right time to announce that I will retire at the end of this season.
‘Having played 15 years in the Premier League, and won every single trophy possible, I feel like I have achieved everything I set out to achieve.
‘I will continue to work hard at Arsenal to hopefully win one more trophy this season, then I am looking forward to seeing what life holds for me off the pitch.’
Jose Mourinho, who managed Cech during his two spells at Chelsea, said: ‘I am honoured to have been the manager that, at such an early age, gave Petr a top Premier League number one shirt.
‘After that day, it is all about him. All about his numbers, his performances, his clean sheets, his titles and his professionalism.
‘It’s a big loss for football but history can’t be deleted. Many congratulations on such an amazing career.’
Elsa98
71
It would be an emotional moment for him.
VanishPrasad
66
He is the greatest goalkeeper in the EPL history. He derseves such respect
chidesco1
52
He totally deserves it, it is also a nice gesture from Chelsea. He is one of chelsea's greatest all time players. If not of anything, but because of the champions league 2012 triumph
Lanbdz
48
There goes the really legend and would soon be following other legends before him that have called it a day after glittering careers with Chelsea. We Chelsea fans take off our hats for this legend and what he did for this club. There was no time you would hear his name being dragged into the bad news or ever hearing he wanted to play for a certain club because he loved and above all he respected the club to the last day a younger but erratic keeper dethroned him. He will always be in our hearts because he and others like him rewrote the club’s history that we read today as the most successful club in the EPL history. No club has ever achieved so much in the last 17 years let alone the last 15when he was involved between the sticks. Hats off to the really legend. Will l ever place Hazard ‘s name alongside his????l don’t think so. Thank you.
Wendy-Alison042
42
this is man is really great not just that he won champions league with Chelsea bit he won all trophy with Chelsea give him the offer will be great honour and a Singh of respect to him