Ray Parlour believes that former Chelsea man Petr Cech will still remain at Arsenal next season and that he will still be the first choice despite the arrival of German shot-stopper, Bernd Leno.
The latter was signed from Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the summer to provide competition for Cech.
The former Czech international had struggled for form last season and was criticized by a section of the media and fans, with question marks lingering about his reflexes at 36.
The imminent transfer of Chelsea man, Thibaut Courtois has seen Cech being linked to a return back to Stamford Bridge, though no official bid has been made by the FA Cup champions.
As quoted by Daily Express, Parlour, who is a club legend told Bwin that, “I’m very happy with the signing of Bernd Leno, though I think Petr Cech will still be the first-choice goalkeeper,” “Leno is a young goalkeeper with great potential who’ll be looking to put as much pressure on Cech as possible.
“Goalkeeper is a vital position and Arsenal need a fantastic goalkeeper to be successful, so we need to hope Cech can pass on the torch to Leno for the years to come.
“Cech won’t be looking to leave this summer and Arsenal will be counting on him being No 1. “I think Ospina will leave the club this summer, rather than Cech.”
Chelsea have been linked to the signing of Cech, who is a legend at Stamford Bridge but Parlour believes that Cech will be very important to bed in Leno very well. Leno is a quality player but is coming from a foreign league where the physicality and intensity are not as prominent. He will need an experienced player to help guide him through the first campaign and help in bed him in.
After a first season of settling in, he can now take over the reins at The Emirates Stadium for the long-term. Cech has made 117 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions since joining in 2015.