Bournemouth have been left with little or nothing in finding a replacement for Nathan Ake, who has suddenly been called back by Chelsea. Ake had turned out to be an important player for Bournemouth’s success this season and Eddie Howe will find it extremely difficult to get someone who could fill his shoes.
A number of defenders are linked with Cherries at the moment which includes the likes of Mamadou Sakho and Pedro Pereira in the last few weeks. And the recent name to have linked with the Cherries is Chelsea’s old veteran John Terry.
Yes, in quite a shocking move by Howe, the Cherries have reportedly bid for the 36-year-old Chelsea defender on a loan till the end of the season. He has seen his place in the starting line-up drying up since Conte has come to the helm and the purchase of David Luiz was the first indication.
Terry has seen making occasional appearances in the league and starting in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. However, he had little to no influence in those matches. Chelsea were ousted by West Ham United in the EFL Cup and his appearance for the FA Cup against Peterborough at the weekend saw him getting red carded.
After the game, Terry wrote on Instagram, “What a great feeling being back on the pitch today, albeit only for 67 mins after my red card which I will be appealing and hope the FA and the ref will look at it and realise I didn’t touch Lee Angol.”
Terry’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season after he was suddenly offered one of those infamous one-year deals that Chelsea offer their veterans.
Of course, Terry has lost his sharpness with age, but one cannot deny his defensive abilities. At 36, he is a hugely experienced player in the league, who has played a whopping 490 games in the Premier League where he has scored 40 goals and provided 18 assists.
Howe is clearly thinking of a temporary solution if he is eyeing to bring Terry to the Vitality Stadium and he will definitely not just get a good replacement to replace Ake but a terrific leader too. Terry has won almost everything at the club level with Chelsea and he could definitely play a huge role in helping Bournemouth make a top half finish this season.
In Jack Wilshere, Premier League has witnessed the resurrection of a brilliant player this season, and Terry could follow his footsteps if he is still willing to play football at the highest level. Besides, he could help chisel the young Bournemouth squad.
