AFC Bournemouth have made inquiries to Chelsea about the possibility of taking John Terry on loan.
According to Sky Sports, Bournemouth have contacted Chelsea to ask about John Terry’s availability on loan until the end of the season. At 36, Terry is nearing the end of his career and has struggled for playing time under Antonio Conte this season.
Terry has managed just 8 appearances across all competitions this season – two of which have come as a substitute – and has only played a total of 366 minutes in those appearances. Conte has favoured a 3-4-3 system this season and has opted for a defensive unit consisting of Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and David Luiz.
The system has been a massive success, with Chelsea rocketing to the top of the league after a slightly shaky start, and there has been no reason for Conte to tinker with his defense whatsoever. Given Conte’s penchant for quick defenders, Terry’s age and lack of pace has proven to be another nail in the coffin of his Chelsea career.
Despite this, Terry was handed a start against Peterborough over the weekend as Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners, but he was sent off in the 66th minute of that game. Chelsea appealed the sending off but it was upheld, which means that Terry will now serve a mandatory one-match ban and will miss the clash against Leicester City this weekend.
Bournemouth had another Chelsea defender on loan in Nathan Ake, but he has since been recalled by Antonio Conte after putting in several impressive performances for the Cherries this season. Ake’s recall will only push Terry further down the pecking order, and it appears his time at Stamford Bridge is definitely at an end.
Reports emerged last month that Terry was being offered a lucrative contract by Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, but those links have since quickly faded. Terry has said several times that he would like to retire at Chelsea, but Bournemouth may provide an interesting prospect for the Chelsea legend.
Eddie Howe’s side have been one of the surprises of the season, and currently sit at 9th place in the league. Terry has always wanted to go into management following his playing career, and the chance to work alongside Eddie Howe might be a tempting one, given that Terry will likely be given a senior role in the side.
However, Terry has spent his entire senior career at Chelsea – apart from a short loan to Nottingham Forest in 2000 – and the fact that he may want to retire as a one-club man might dissuade him from going out on loan for just half a season.