There have been reports of Chelsea defender John Terry moving away from the Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and West Bromwich Albion is increasingly looking like a possible destination for the 36-year-old. After the former Chelsea and England skipper ruled out a move away from England, a host of Premier League clubs have been alerted to his situation.
The Baggies seem to lead the race as their manager Tony Pulis recently stated that the club have made an enquiry about the aged centre-half recently sparking intrigue among many if Hawthorns would be Terry’s next and final stop.
With David Luiz re-joining the side last summer and playing a huge role in Chelsea’s three-man defence, the place for the likes of Terry and Branislav Ivanovic had dried up. With the Serbian already moving to Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg last winter, Terry looks to follow suit. He has managed to appear just once for the Blues this season early in September with the manager limiting his job to Cup ties mainly.
He is on Chelsea’s famous ‘one-year contract’ at the moment, which expires at the end of the season. Among all the clubs that showed interest in him, Albion seems to be the most logical option. Pulis is known for his defensive setup and love for defenders and Terry looks set to get the right respect and regularity at Hawthorns which he pines for. Pulis had planned a bid for the player last winter but was rejected. Apart from them, Stoke City and Bournemouth are the other sides to have shown interest.
In the pre-match conference, Pulis opened up about their interest in the player. He said, “It was just finding out what the situation was and then it was whether we moved on it or we didn’t… I think he wanted to be there and stay there and be part of going out as a champion… If he becomes available in the summer, we’ll sit down then and have a little think about what we’ve got and what we haven’t got and then we’ll take it from there.”
Pulis has the 37-year-old centre-back Gareth McAuley in his squad, who is close to extending his contract. It seems like the Wales manager has his way with aged feet at the back and given Albion’s recent success, he is quite comfortable with them. Pulis is also reportedly close to extending his contract with the Baggies, which could be an influential factor in Terry’s arrival at the club.
Since joining Chelsea back in 1998, the West Ham youth product has played a whopping 685 games, where he scored 64 goals and provided 29 assists. His immense experience can be an invaluable asset for West Bromwich Albion. The Baggies are close to a Europa League qualification spot this season and if they don’t manage to do it, Terry’s addition will definitely increase their chances next season.
