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Petr Cech
Keeping him happy: Petr Cech will be offered an extension to his contract until 2012 and a rise of around £20,000 a week

Cech ready to sign new Chelsea deal

Simon Johnson, Football Correspondent
13 May 2008


Petr Cech wants to commit his long-term future to Chelsea and will begin talks with the club over a new contract after the Champions League Final next week.

Cech has established himself as arguably the best keeper in Europe since he joined Chelsea for £7million from Rennes in 2004.

The Czech international, who is believed to be earning around £70,000 a week, is wanted by a host of clubs across the continent, but is keen to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are happy to open negotiations with the 25-year-old and his agent Pavel Zika, and are ready to offer him a rise of about £20,000 a week to secure his signature, which will bring him in line with other top earners at the club.

A source close to the keeper told Standard Sport: "We will be talking about Petr's contract with Chelsea after the Champions League Final. He is happy at Chelsea and sees his long-term future there."

He only has two years left on his current contract, but the club will offer him a two-year extension that will keep him at the club until 2012.

The move to secure him on a new contract is further evidence of Chelsea's willingness to take care of business ahead of next season as soon as possible. They have already secured their first signing of the summer with the £16.2m acquisition of Jose Bosingwa from Porto.

Bosingwa, who agreed a three-year contract worth £50,000 a week, is set to replace his Portugal international team-mate Paulo Ferreira as Chelsea's first choice right-back next season. He said: "Chelsea is my destiny and it is a club where I can improve as a player."

Meanwhile, Didier Drogba admitted yesterday that complacency had cost Chelsea the League title to Manchester United.

The two points his team conceded to Bolton on Sunday brought the number lost in the final moments at Stamford Bridge to eight.

Drogba, who confirmed he would be fit from a knee injury for the Champions League Final, said: "That is enormous, far too many to claim to be champions.

"It certainly shows an excess of self-satisfaction, a lack of concentration."

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Mr Drogba is dead right, eight points conceded in the last minutes of games, and 7 draws at home. Champions do not draw seven times at home in a season especially to
teams in the bottom half of the table. That's not the form of champions.

- John Mccaffrey, Brentwood England, 13/05/2008 20:49
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