In a shocking development, which wouldn’t be that shocking on a closer look, Championship side Birmingham City have now made a bid for Chelsea’s released skipper John Terry. Birmingham manager Harry Redknapp, who managed him in Michael Carrick’s recent testimonial game, is said to be keen on bringing him to St. Andrew’s Stadium.
The 70-year-old has been a long-term admirer of the former England and Chelsea skipper and would love to have him on his side. Speaking to TalkSport, he said, “We’ve made him a good offer and we have done the best we can… It’s up to John now, but we would love him at Birmingham.”
Birmingham had a season to forget in the Championship last term as the Blues finished 19th in the League garnering only 53 points in 46 games. However, their intact defence remains a source of interest for all. They conceded only 64 goals in the gruelling long season, which is lesser than most teams finishing in the top half of the table and equivalent to third-placed Reading FC.
The new Blues boss has already completed the signing of former Brighton & Hove Albion goalie David Stockdale and Terry could be his second if this deal at all goes through. While it is a distant shot given the huge number of Premier League sides willing to land him, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss would definitely give it a try.
The 36-year-old English centre-half has a tonne of experience under his belt owing to his long footballing career at top-flight English football. He has been playing in the Premier League for almost 22 years, in which he has played a whopping 717 games winning 13 major trophies in whole.
However, with Antonio Conte at the helm, his playing time remarkably decreased as the likes of David Luiz, Garry Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta got the nod ahead of him. He could make only 14 appearances for the London side last term.
Now with him available, he has numerous options available to choose from after he returns from the summer break. Among the Premier League sides remain, Brighton, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion, who have shown interest in the player, while Championship sides feature Birmingham’s rival Aston Villa. Lucrative offers from the United Major Soccer League and China are also there.
Redknapp is definitely not even a real competitor if compared to his suitors, and the man is solely relying on his goodwill to land him. And it would have been possible too if Birmingham were in the Premier League.
