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Arsenal completes signing of Petr Cech from Chelsea

Tony O'Brien / Action Images

The wait is mercifully over: Petr Cech officially became a member of Arsenal on Monday.

Cech signed a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee following 11 years with Chelsea, Arsenal announced. Details of the transfer weren't made public, but Sky Sports reports that Arsenal paid £10 million to secure his services.

The deal will reportedly keep Cech at Arsenal until 2019 after signing a four-year contract that will pay him £100,000-a-week, according to Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph,

"Petr Cech is a player that I have admired for a long time and I am very pleased that he has decided to join us," manager Arsene Wenger said. "He has proven over many seasons that he is one of the outstanding 'keepers in the world and he will add great strength to our squad."

Cech spent the majority of last season as a substitute behind Thibaut Courtois. Cech says he still has the same desire and commitment to winning trophies that helped transform him into one of the world's best 'keepers during his illustrious career at Stamford Bridge.

"I'm really excited about joining Arsenal Football Club and can't wait to join up for preseason," the 33-year-old said. "I have the same commitment to football, the same motivation and the same hunger for success as I had at the beginning of my career, and I love the challenges brought by the top-quality players you face while playing in the Premier League.

"When Arsene Wenger spoke to me about his ambitions for this club, and how he saw me as part of this team, the decision was clear."

His arrival could spell the end for either Wojciech Szczesny or David Ospina at Arsenal, as one of the two 'keepers could be offloaded during the summer to ensure regular playing time for Cech. Ospina appears the most likely to leave: the team reportedly agreed to sell the Colombian to Fenerbahce in a deal worth £3.9 million, according to The Independent.

Chelsea were quick to pay their respects to one of the most successful 'keepers in the team's history by looking back at some of his memorable moments, including the team's Champions League victory over Bayern Munich and the countless trophies he helped them win during over 400 appearances for the team.

"By any measure his is undoubtedly the finest career a goalkeeper has had at the club, and one of the greatest of all time," the team said on their website.

The Czech Republic international also provided a special message to his adoring Chelsea supporters shortly after confirming his move to the Emirates Stadium:

The wait for Cech's first match against his former club might be a short one as his first appearance for Arsenal could occur against Chelsea on August 2 during the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.

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