According to a report by ESPN, longtime Chelsea defender and captain John Terry has agreed to join Championship club Aston Villa for the coming season.
The 36-year-old had his Chelsea contract expire this summer, and with Antonio Conte looking to get younger along the back line, Terry was considered surplus and his contract not renewed. There was plenty of speculation that Terry would finish his career in the United States, but nothing concrete ever materialized. The ESPN report says that “a number of clubs at home and abroad” expressed interest in Terry, but he decided to join a Championship side.
[ MORE: Alexis Sanchez knows where he wants to be ]
Steve Bruce is hoping to sign Terry to a one-year deal, according to the report, and that will apparently come to fruition after Terry informed his other suitors of his decision.
Terry spent 22 years at Chelsea, from joining the youth system in 1995 to his final professional season with the Blues in 2017, making 690 appearances for the club across all competitions.