Aston Villa are reportedly keen on signing defender John Terry.
Chelsea’s John Terry
According to The Sun, Aston Villa are interested in signing free agent defender John Terry – and the player himself is thought to be keen on the idea of joining.
Terry, 36, racked up more than 700 appearances for Chelsea, becoming a hero at Stamford Bridge having captained the club to five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three League Cups, as well as the Champions League and Europa League.
John Terry
The former England international, who racked up 78 caps for the Three Lions, is now a free agent having left Chelsea at the end of his contract this summer, and with retirement seemingly not on his mind just yet, he will be searching for his next move.
The Sun report that Aston Villa are keen on signing Terry to boost their defence, with manager Steve Bruce allegedly even talking to Terry about a possible move over a round of golf in Portugal.
Terry is also understood be keen on the idea of joining Villa and attempting to lead them back to the Premier League after they suffered a disappointing season in the Championship.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
A partnership with James Chester at centre back could be appealing for Villa, but it’s hard to see Terry dropping into the second tier – and there have to be questions asked about Villa’s budget anyway.
The Mirror reported last month that Bruce has been given just £1million to spend on new signings unless Villa can sell players to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, leaving him on a tight budget.
Chelsea’s John Terry gives a speech on the pitch after winning the Premier League
Just last week, the London Evening Standard claimed that Terry is looking for a contract worth £100,000-a-week, and whilst Villa owner Tony Xia could fund that, it may leave Villa in Financial Fair Play trouble.
Spending such a huge amount of money in wages on a 36-year-old defender seems ill-advised even if it is John Terry, and the money may be better used to but towards a transfer fee for a younger defender, especially given Terry’s lack of playing time over the last year.
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