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With Thibaut Courtois taking the mantle between the posts for Jose Mourinho's title-winning Chelsea side last season, one of the Premier League's best ever keepers was consigned to life on the bench. Given that Cech is still only 33, he could still have quite a few seasons left at the highest level, especially considering some keepers don't even truly enter their prime until their mid-thirties.
With all signs pointing to Courtois remaining the number 1 at Chelsea, Cech was always likely to be snapped up by another top-flight club, and there is confirmation today that club is Arsenal, who will pay £10m to secure the Czech Republic international's services for the next four years.
Cech is an immediate upgrade over Arsenal's current options, Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina, both of whom are solid on their day but who each have their flaws. Cech's arrival will almost certainly mean at least one of the aforementioned keepers will be on his way out of the Gunners squad, though it remains to be seen what Arsene Wenger has planned given he just signed Ospina last summer.
In any case, whichever keeper(s) remain will have the opportunity to learn from one of the Premier League's best for at least the next couple years. Having a veteran like Cech anchoring the defense will almost certainly improve Arsenal's defense as a whole, which has been their primary area of weakness (if you include defensive midfield, which also needs to be improved) over the past few seasons.
If Arsenal can strengthen in defensive midfield and perhaps add another striker to their ranks, they should have every chance of taking the step up to challenge domestically and in the Champions League. Cech's arrival is a signal of their intent, and could mean Arsenal have a shot at their first Premier League title since their "Invincibles" campaign in 2003-2004.
There are also positive fantasy implications for Arsenal defenders next season, with Cech adding stability and clean sheet potential to the likes of Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs. What are your thoughts? How much does Cech's arrival improve Arsenal? Can they challenge for the title this season, or do they still need to strengthen further?