John Terry has been showing no signs of slowing down in the last six months, but the Chelsea captain appears to be far away from extending his contract. Terry is now eligible to talk with clubs from abroad and potentially sign a pre-contract agreement. He has just over four months left on his existing deal. Even though Jose Mourinho has spoken a lot about how Chelsea want to keep Terry beyond this season, the 34-year-old may be heading into a situation that Frank Lampard faced last summer.
Regarding the new contract, Terry said: “The club know my position, I know theirs and it will hopefully get done.
“No talks have happened yet but we both respect the position. There are a lot of more important players than me – [Eden] Hazard’s one that’s just been done – and that’s the most important thing for the club.
“Without them even telling me that, I know that’s the priority for them and hopefully they’ll be knocking on the door soon. I want to stay. My performances are showing that and hopefully they can keep me.”
Chelsea have a policy of offering only 12 month extensions to players above 30. Given his age, it is highly unlikely that Terry will receive the two-year contract that he is reportedly looking for. After appearing to struggle with back injuries a few seasons ago, the early retirement from international football appears to have helped our captain to stay relatively free of injuries. Even this is unlikely to help him get a two-year deal. Terry has featured in 31 matches across the Champions League and the Premier League this season.
Bookmakers expect Terry to start against Burnley this weekend. Chelsea are given odds of 1/5 for a victory by popular bookmakers, who also allow let you bet on Day two of the Aintree Grand National meeting – Ladies’ Day. A victory will help the blues maintain the seven-point advantage over Manchester City, who are at home to a struggling Newcastle United.
Replacing Terry will be a huge task for Chelsea. He is more than just a great defender. His exceptional leadership skills have managed to keep the club intact during the tough times over the last decade.
It will be very difficult to find someone like him, but the promise shown by Kurt Zouma is more than pleasing. The French international was not expected to get much opportunities this season after the £12 million move from Saint Etienne last January. Yet, the indifferent form shown by Gary Cahill has forced Mourinho to thrust Zouma into the action and the 20-year-old has not disappointed. In fact, he has been preferred for the big matches and to play against strikers who are quick.
