Asmir Begovic moves to Chelsea but Stoke fans not particularly fussed
It's a saga that has spanned much of Asmir Begovic's time at Stoke but his departure from the club was finally sealed on Monday.
He has made an £8 million move to replace Petr Cech as Thibaut Courtois' understudy at Chelsea, with Marco van Ginkel arriving on loanas part of the deal.
Begovic's arrival in 2010 was met with raised eyebrows from most; an unknown quantity seemingly taken by Tony Pulis as a consolation prize following a failed pursuit of 39-year-old David James.
But having been linked with a move to Chelsea that summer, Begovic was then caught up in an argument with Pulis, who suggested the player refused to play in a Carling Cup match against Shrewsbury. Begovic, for his part, strenuously denied the allegation and dismissed Pulis' claims as "absolutely disgraceful."
Relations gradually improved, though, and the clubs linked to him grew by the month. His apparent refusal to move to a bigger club just to sit on the bench saw him remain at Stoke and improve considerably.
Having excelled in the 2013-14 season he was linked with the Spanish giants of Barcelona and Real Madrid and jetted off to his first World Cup with Bosnia-Herzegovina seemingly expecting his big move to materialise on his return.
That, of course, did not happen and back in the Potteries he found himself struggling to replicate the form of his previous campaign, making a number of uncharacteristic errors throughout.
Having enjoyed such good form in his five years at the club, fans could only speculate at his apparent dip. Was it burnout after not having a break in the close season, or had he mentally prepared himself for a big move that never happened?
His suspect form was such that for the first time in his career at Stoke, he was faced the prospect of being dropped for England U21 captain and club understudy Jack Butland.
Despite knowing his young colleague was always going to feature in a couple of games at the end of the season, Begovic was again reportedly caught up in a row with his boss, this time regarding a match against Swansea. Stoke manager Mark Hughes suggested Begovic was not in the right frame of mind to be considered for the bench.
There is not a Stoke fan out there that would deny him a move to a bigger club but the manner in which his exit has come about has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many.
While he will no doubt win trophies at his new club, he'll witness much of his new side's success from the confines of the dugout which is a terrible shame for a player most believe is capable of playing in the first team of a top four side.
At 28, he should be enjoying a leading role for a club worthy of his talents and while Chelsea would fit that bill perfectly, the likelihood of usurping Courtois is unlikely, with serious injury to the Belgian his only real route to a consistent place in the starting XI. He'll leave the club with a pat on the back and fans will be hoping the money raised from his sale will be put towards players who actually want to play for the club.
He leaves the No.1 jersey in good hands, though, with Butland ready to finally take his chance having patiently waited in the wings for years.
Butland has shown loyalty and professionalism and Stoke fans look forward to affording him a fitting welcome when he runs out against Liverpool for the opening day of the season.
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