John Terry tempted by Manchester City riches

10 July 2009 20:07
He also said such purchases would show "Chelsea are back" and talked of his hopes that the new manager Carlo Ancelotti would stamp out the "bad practices" which had infiltrated the club. All of this was said in the knowledge that Manchester City were, again, to come calling for Terry. He knew it and Chelsea, who had rebuffed City's advances in the last transfer window, when Terry also made a public statement that he intended to see out his career at Stamford Bridge, suspected it also. City's desire to sign Terry is genuine. It is no stunt. And neither is it correct to simply assume that "Mr Chelsea", Terry, a man so synonymous with the club that Ancelotti referred to him as a "symbol" in his first press conference this week, is not interested. He is. To a certain extent his head has been turned for months. And it has been turned in the direction of City. The finances alone are, according to sources close to Terry, "eye-watering". City will make him the best-paid player in the Premier League and that deserves serious consideration, especially for a player who is 29 later this year. His current deal, which has three years to run, is worth a staggering £130,000 a week but City's contract will push his wages up towards £200,000 a week and if the club are successful there will be fabulous bonuses on top of that. Although Terry is fantastically well-paid, he is not Chelsea's best-remunerated player. Both Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack earn more than him while new contracts, albeit on less than Terry's wages, are being discussed with Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole while Joe Cole, Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel will also be made offers in the coming weeks. Terry has seen this, and approved of it, but is also, according to those close to him, wondering whether he is now valued highly enough by the club he has played for all his career and helped hold together, especially during the bleak tenure of Avram Grant and also the uncertainly before Roman Abramovich took over. He has not (yet) specifically asked for a pay rise but the subtext is clear – after all, more money is the most fundamental way of showing an employee he is valued. Terry, however, is also eager to gauge where Chelsea are heading as a club. The glow of Abramovich's ownership has worn off. Chelsea have not been competitive in the transfer market for more than two years and that FA Cup was the first trophy won since 2007. There is a perception that, perhaps, the club's period of dominance will never be repeated. Abramovich has quashed talk that he has lost interest and wants to sell up and in his discussions with Terry, and also Ancelotti, has pledged to invest and sign the "marquee" players that will make a difference. But he made the same pledge to Luiz Felipe Scolari only for Robinho, the one the Brazilian really wanted, to pitch up at City instead. It would be unthinkable for Terry to do so also but the unthinkable is certainly a real possibility. After all neither Villa nor Ribery has been signed and although Yuri Zhirkov is a good player, he is not the kind of superstar Chelsea's players feel they need. Terry's disenchantment is, therefore, twofold: he feels he deserves more money and also, importantly, that Chelsea have to spend big. He was unhappy in January to see his team-mate, and friend, Wayne Bridge sold to City, especially after Terry had urged Scolari to play the full-back in the problematic left midfield position. And although Terry maintains he did not undermine Scolari he made clear to the hierarchy that the coach's training methods and tactics were not good enough. Terry needs convincing to stay at Chelsea. He met Ancelotti and then Eugene Tenenbaum – a director and Abramovich's right-hand man – on Thursday and requested further, more formal meetings, just in case anyone doubted his seriousness. Chelsea do not, even if they still firmly believe he will stay. Should he stay? John Terry has spent his career at Chelsea and is inextricably associated with the club. To leave now, when he has three years left on a lucrative deal, would appear like a betrayal. It's not as if Chelsea are lacking ambition or have conducted a firesale of their assets? Also Terry has significant sponsorship deals tied into his status as Chelsea and – more importantly – England captain. If he moves he won't even be playing in the Europa League, never mind the Champions League. And is moving clubs a good idea in a season that culminates in a World Cup finals? Or go...? Manchester City are the coming force of European football and have identified John Terry as the 'symbol' for the club who can help fulfil their ambitions. It is some invitation. City are serious in their intent and will continue to outspend every other English club for years to come. They have tried to sign Kaka and Samuel Eto'o. Terry is also being offered wages which far outstrip his already extraordinary £130,000-a-week salary. Money is certainly a factor. Terry is also the footballer most closely associated with Umbro, who just happened to have signed a big kit manufacturing deal with City. Maybe it's time to move on.

Source: Telegraph