UK Edition
West Brom step up chase for John Terry
Tony Pulis is ready to step up his ambitious bid to sign John Terry next week when he meets with West Bromwich Albion’s Chinese owners.
Pulis wants to offer Terry a fresh start at the Hawthorns and will put forward his case to sign the former England captain during crunch talks in Guangzhou.
Terry, 36, will leave Chelsea after more than two decades at Stamford Bridge this summer and is also being targeted by Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.
But it is understood Terry is open to the prospect of joining West Brom and has concerns that Bournemouth’s expansive style of play could leave him exposed.
Pulis is renowned for his defensive organisation and believes Terry’s availability on a free transfer is worth pursuing, despite the prospect of rival interest from clubs abroad, notably in China and Major League Soccer.
An Albion contingent including Pulis, chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman will fly to China on Monday to meet with owner Guochuan Lai.
Albion’s summer budget will be high on the agenda during those talks and Pulis is keen to discover what salary the club could offer Terry.
The defender picks up around £50,000 a week at Chelsea, after taking a pay cut last year, which is significantly lower than Albion’s top earners including Nacer Chadli, Jonny Evans and Salomon Rondon, who rake in around £75,000 a week.
And Pulis will discuss the possibility of signing Terry, who could be the type of high-profile signing that will boost the club’s profile in the Far East.
“We won't know until I come back from China what the budget exactly is," said Pulis. “We’ll analyse the season and the way they see the club pushing on and going forward.
“We will go into detail over a lot of things and it will be nice to see what his views are.”
Terry is Chelsea’s most decorated player, having won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League.
He has made over 700 appearances for the club since making his debut in 1998 but could make his final league appearance in Sunday’s home game against Sunderland.
Pulis is keen to reduce the average age of his squad this summer but the prospect of signing Terry appeals.
Albion are on course to finish in the top 10 this season, with their final game a trip to Swansea.