Chelsea formally release John Terry and academy-product-turned-serial-loanee Alex Davey
By George Perry
John Terry appeared on Chelsea’s official list of released players today, alongside Alex Davey. This is likely the first and last time you’ll see those names in the same sentence.
Premier League clubs submitted their list of players who are not renewing contracts and are formally released from their clubs. Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United released the fewest players of any clubs in the league. The Blues released two – John Terry and Alex Davey – while their rivals released one each.
Chelsea and Manchester United had two of most prominent names among the newly-confirmed free agents. United released Zlatan Ibrahimovic upon the completion of his one-year contract. Ibrahimovic’s unattached status will send Major League Soccer and Chinese Super League clubs scrambling. Both twilight destinations will figure out how much they can afford to play (MLS), or how much they will be allowed to pay (CSL), for the Swedish star.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
Ibrahimovic’s release also sends the transfer market for a striker into high gear. Chelsea and United are now fully engaged in the battle for Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and Andrea Belotti.
Reports earlier today said that United and Morata were on the verge of an agreement. With Ibrahimovic out of the way, Morata would have little to no competition for the starting job at United. Lukaku’s unpleasant history with Jose Mourinho and the recent rumours that his return was nearly complete may have impelled United to close the deal with Morata as early as possible.
Manchester City released the most players – eight – of any top-six team. Pep Guardiola cleaned out the disastrous Willy Caballero, along with veterans Jesus Navas, Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy. Guardiola’s ever-shifting lineup throughout the 2016/17 season gave little clear indication of City’s direction in the transfer market, other than the desperate need for a goalkeeper. The list of players leaving the Etihad does not point in any new directions for their summer activity or Guardiola’s plans for next season.
Chelsea’s other released player – Alex Davey – spent his entire senior career to date with little prospect of reaching the first team. He joined the Blues as a U11, and had a mixed career in the Academy. He won an FA Youth Cup and U21 Premier League title in 2011/12 and 2013/14, respectively. Injuries plagued him in the latter stages, and centre-backs like Andreas Christensen and Nathan Ake exposed a yawning gap in quality.
Next: Chelsea make contact with Leonardo Bonucci representatives
Davey played on loan at Scunthorpe, Peterborough, Stabaek (Norway) and Crawley Town. He made 18 appearances for Crawley Town this season, his most in senior football. As of this writing, both Chelsea and Crawley Town had removed him from their player pages.