Newly promoted English side Aston Villa are reportedly set to pursue the signature of Chelsea defender and soon-to-be free agent Gary Cahill.
As per an exclusive report by The Sun, Aston Villa are hoping to reunite John Terry with Gary Cahill in this summer’s transfer window. The Premier League returnees see the Chelsea defender, who is set to become a free agent in July, as an ideal reinforcement for their defence.
Gary Cahill has enjoyed an illustrious eight-year spell with Chelsea wherein he has won the lot, capping his time at the club with the Blues’ UEFA Europa League triumph this week. But, on a personal level, the 2018-19 season turned out to be one to forget for the veteran English defender.
Cahill found himself being frozen out of Chelsea’s first-team equation for large parts of the season by Maurizio Sarri, whose outlook saw him being restricted to just eight appearances and 562 minutes of action during the campaign. His dire situation at Chelsea also saw the defender being linked with a January move Arsenal, before Unai Emery rebuffed the links.
The horrid season finally came to an end this week, with Cahill receiving his farewell on the pitch last month in a Premier League game against Watford. With his Chelsea contract set to run out at the end of the month, and a renewal not on the horizon, it is time for pastures anew for the 33-year-old.
And newly promoted outfit Aston Villa are keen on getting the Chelsea defender onboard their project on their return to the Premier League. The Villans had to take the long route of the playoffs to secure promotion after ending 5th in the Championship following the league stage.
Having gone past West Bromwich Albion and Derby County, they are now set for a return to the Premier League. And, Dean Smith is eager to bolster his squad to ensure Villa remain a Premier League side at the end of next season.
In particular, defence has emerged as a priority, and rightly so, after seeing his side concede 61 goals in the league this past season. As a result, Smith has turned his attention towards former Chelsea captain Cahill.
What is especially a concern for the Aston Villa boss is the fact that key defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Tyrone Mings, who were pivotal in the second half of the season, are set to return to their parent clubs following the culmination of their loan deals.
While Villa are reportedly working on a deal to sign Mings permanently, Tuanzebe is expected to be handed a role in the Manchester United first-team setup next season. Cahill has thus, emerged as a viable immediate solution for the Birmingham-based club, who are hoping to reunite him with Chelsea legend John Terry.
Cahill’s experience in the Premier League would surely come in handy for the newly promoted side, while on a personal level, the veteran defender gets to remain in the English top-flight. That the move would cost Aston Villa nothing also makes the Chelsea defender an appealing prospect and it remains to be seen if they can indeed sign him.
