According to reports from Mirror Football yesterday evening, Chelsea skipper John Terry is being offered an escape route to the Middle East – where he would link up with club legend Gianfranco Zola.
The Blues’ harrowing start to the season continued on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat to West Ham at Upton Park, which saw Nemanja Matic receive a red card after 44 minutes and manager Jose Mourinho sent to the stands at half-time.
Terry has already felt the full force of the Chelsea manager’s wrath this season, subbed off for the first time by the Portuguese during a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in August, and doubts remain over the 34 year-old’s future at the club with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Turkish outfit Fenerbahce and several Chinese clubs have already made approaches to sign the former England international, but Mirror Football claim he’s now received an offer from Al Arabi – the Qatari club managed by Stamford Bridge legend Gianfranco Zola.
The Italian won two FA Cups, a League Cup, a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and two Player of the Year awards during his seven seasons with Chelsea. After management spells with West Ham, Watford and Cagliari, he took the post at Grand Hamad Stadium in July this year.
Middle Eastern football is trying to attract major names ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Terry would represent one of their biggest coups yet, with Zola’s presence a unique selling point for the veteran defender.