Premier League legend Petr Cech isn’t surprised to see Slavia Prague striker Abdallah Sima attracting the interest of clubs such as Arsenal and West Ham United, speaking to iSport.
Last Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final felt particularly pertinent for Slavia’s 19-year-old attacker.
After all, Sima has spent the past four months being heavily linked with a big-money move to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
And although the teen sensation missed an opportunity to impress at the home of his potential employers, putting in a largely anonymous performance in north London, Sima’s stunning exploits throughout 2020/21 mean he’s certain to be in demand during the summer transfer window.
According to EuroSport, Arsenal and West Ham are both ‘actively’ pursuing a deal for the so-called ‘new Thierry Henry’.
And Cech, a former Arsenal goalkeeper, wouldn’t be shocked to see Sima join former Slavia stars Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek in the Premier League.
“He’s being talked about. When a player appears who, at such a young age, succeeds in senior football, starts scoring goals and produces in Europe, clubs notice. There aren’t many players like this in Europe,” says Cech, the legendary Chelsea and Czech Republic glovesman.
“Soucek and Coufal are opening the door for (Czech league players).”
Sima, who is valued at £50 million by Slavia president Jaroslav Tvrdik, has scored 19 times this season, including a brilliant long-range strike against Leicester in the Europa League.
The youngster, however, is on a run of seven games without a goal – not that Cech is too concerned.
“At his age, he may have some fluctuations. It isn’t easy to play every match in the same way.
“On the other hand, we have to realise that when a person at the age of 19 comes to a league where no-one knows him, no-one concentrates on him…
“He is very good physically, especially in terms of speed.”
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