Chelsea veterans in latest batch of transfer rumours
By George Perry
John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and Mikel John Obi are all approaching the end of their Chelsea careers. That makes them fodder for rumours both spurious and mildly plausible.
Starting in alphabetical order, Antonio Conte’s former club Juventus is keeping an eye on out-of-favor and overage centre-back Branislav Ivanovic. Juventus’ own senior statesmen of the backline, Leonardo Bonucci and Dani Alves, both suffered injuries recently. Both went down against Genoa, with Alves getting the worst of it with a broken fibula.
Ivanovic only has 553 minutes for Chelsea this season, with all but a thimble of those coming before Chelsea’s undefeated run in the 3-4-3. Even more so than John Terry, Ivanovic has been left behind by Chelsea’s strategic needs. Ivanovic could still be a valuable, physical presence in a defence that does not require high pace and high press.
Rumour grade – Ivanovic to Juventus: 7/10
Mikel John Obi is supposedly a target for the Premier League’s most-sent-off manager: Mikel’s two-time former coach, Jose Mourinho. Mikel has played even less than Ivanovic this season, but has continued to power Nigeria’s Super Eagles national team.
Related Story: Nigeria's coach cries foul over Chelsea's treatment of Mikel John Obi
Closing his career at Manchester United would bring things full circle for Mikel. He was originally slated to sign with United 10 years ago. He ended up at Chelsea after a dramatic and somewhat scandalous series of events (Chelsea was keen on such things in those days). Chelsea ended up paying United £12 million to settle things, and Mikel has been with the Blues ever since.
Mikel was a regular part of Mourinho’s squads, particularly when it was time to park the bus. However, Mourinho has – give or take – 99 problems at Manchester United and Mikel John Obi is likely not the solution for any of them.
Mikel deserves a club where he can continue to contribute, lead and conclude his career. Manchester United is hardly that club, although the thought of him and Juan Mata in the same midfield conjures up some pleasant memories.
Rumour grade – Mikel to Manchester United: 5/10
The latest iteration of the John Terry Twilight Tour reality show has the captain, leader, legend entertaining offers from China. Yes, you have heard this one before, but there’s a new twist. Former Chelsea midfielder Guy Poyet is now the manager at Shanghai Shenua, and is ardently pursuing his ex-teammate.
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Shanghai Shenua has been a popular destination for Chelsea players. Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka both played there, and Demba Ba is currently on their roster as he recovers from a broken leg.
The combination of the Chelsea connections and the lucrative Chinese Super League payday has pushed this rumour ahead of previous versions. Add in last season’s speculations about Terry going to China and his stint as a football ambassador to China, and things maybe get plausible.
If Terry were to take Poyet up on the offer, it would likely be only for a single year. Despite recent musings about Terry seeking several more years of playing time, his plan has long been to retire at the end of 2017/2018. Terry would also be unlikely to disrupt his family life to move to China for any longer.
John Terry will remain in the transfer rumour mill until he hands in his retirement paperwork. The most likely outcome is that he will take another “reduced role” one-year contract to stay at Chelsea to see out his career and continue his transition to the coaching staff. Steve Holland will leave at the end of this season, which leaves a perfect opening for Terry.
Rumour grade – Terry to Shanghai Shenua: 3/10
Which rumour do you think is most plausible: Branislav Ivanovic to Juventus or Mikel John Obi to Manchester United? Leave a note and your grades below!