£60M CITY BID FOR JOHN TERRY
Arab owners ready to bankroll mega bid for Chelsea skipper
MANCHESTER CITY are ready to launch an incredible £60million bid for John Terry.
City's billionaire Arab owners plan to test Chelsea's resolve after identifying the England captain as their No 1 target.
Ideally City would love to land Terry in the January transfer window but recognise there is more chance of the deal happening at the end of the season.
I understand Terry emerged as the man around whom City want to build a title-challenging side after talks between manager Mark Hughes, chief executive Gary Cook and Sheikh Mansour, who heads the investment company which owns the club.
Hughes was asked to identify the leading player in the world in every position and was told by Sheikh Mansour the club would do everything possible to bring them to Eastlands.
Although Terry is seen as the cornerstone of Chelsea's recent success, City's Abu Dhabi owners firmly believe every player has his price.
They would happily sanction a £200,000 a week deal for Terry, making him the highest paid player in the world.
And at a time when the credit crunch has hit his multi-billion pound empire, even Roman Abramovich would be forced to contemplate the massive £60m fee.
Hughes explained to Sheikh Mansour that while the likes of AC Milan playmaker Kaka might bring the glamour the Arabs crave, he wants to build a side strong in class and experience . . . with Terry a vital part of that.
It is believed City have already put the wheels in motion on both deals with third parties sounding out representatives of the players.
Impact
Despite Terry's status as 'Mr Chelsea' he may have his head turned by the £10m a year salary package.
While Terry has a major sense of loyalty to Chelsea, he wasn't best pleased at how long it took him to secure a new £140,000 a week contract at the Bridge, only for Frank Lampard to successfully hold out for a better deal. Chelsea sources have talked openly about their distrust of City following the bidding war which saw them miss out on Robinho during the last transfer window.
One factor in City's favour, however, is the increasing uncertainty of the true impact of the global financial crisis on Abramovich.
The Russian's personal wealth was estimated to be around £11billon last year but it is believed some of his companies have suffered huge losses in recent months.
Pressure
And the word around the club is that chief executive Peter Kenyon has been told lavish spending in the transfer market is now a thing of the past.
City's owners, on the other hand, are in a different financial league with Sheikh Mansour reputed to be worth over £50bn.
The next step of their plan to become the 'New Chelsea' is put the financial pressure on the West London club and see if Abramovich would be tempted by a £60m fee.
City's statement of intent will be confirmed in January when they finalise a £50m deal for Juventus keeper Gigi Buffon.
Sections of the Italian media were reporting yesterday that Buffon's wife has already visited Manchester to check out possible accomodation.
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This article has 41 comments
Never in a million years
By John Terry Forever!!!.. Posted January 4 2009 at 11:52 PM.
Not a hope in hell of JT going to Man city think you will find Chelsea are still very,very upset about city nicking there star player from under there noses IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
By dave.. Posted November 27 2008 at 10:20 PM.
Oh come off it - do you really think it will happen or make City the best team in the world? Look at the facts - City have announced their intentions to buy all the world's best players..for ridiculous amounts of money. On one side I doubt the world's teams are stupid enough to sell their best assets to one team - it would not be in their best interests on the pitch. If the players do join City, as Real Madrid have proved, they might be big names, but they don't always gel as a team. It will only be those disloyal players who will join them anyway. And if they do go, think of the cash the teams who sold them will get! For the £60 million Chelsea would get for Terry, who let's face it isn't as good as he used to be, you could buy so many better players!
By Paul Bodman.. Posted November 25 2008 at 5:58 PM.
money money money with out money all the top teams would be were leicester city are , we lcfc had money but a bad manager in taylor he brought poorly ,who really cares about john terry , once sky lose the rights there will be know money again and as for £60 for john terry lets get real hes old slow and not that good NOW .. come leicester lets get back where we should be
By lutterworth altho.. Posted November 24 2008 at 3:05 PM.
Terry Wright
"but he doesn't beat people up, stuff cocaine up his nose, cheat on his wife with slappers etc as some premiership superstars do"
He has been caught cheating on his misses about 10 times by this newspaper!!!! and back to the topic, no way will he leave Chelsea for Man City, the only way he would leave Chelsea would be for someone like Barca.
By Gary.. Posted November 24 2008 at 5:28 AM.
no way man, JT will play for chelsea forever, Terry is priceless
By pureluri.. Posted November 24 2008 at 2:40 AM.
what is football turning into?The chess of the billionnaires?Every day new men come into the premierre league to buy our clubs and thus turn them into there own toys.Yesterday Chelsea today Man City tomorrow who knows?
By true supporter.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:55 PM.
they is no chance of terry leaving the best team in the world for a team that is just delevoping no way he is staying with chelsea (all day everyday).
By matthew.. Posted November 23 2008 at 6:53 PM.
For those criticizing JT:-
JT is one of football's elite. The only one to be in every FIFPro Team of the year since its inception in 2005. And guess what... professional players from all around the world vote for this FifPro team and they will know better than us coz these guys play against him.
For this article:-
JT is chelsea through and through.. His heart and soul lies with CHELSEA. And remember what Peter Kenyon said when Inter Milan were thinking about Lampard, "We don't sell our best players" AND WE DIDNT..
By Shobhit Khanna.. Posted November 23 2008 at 6:41 PM.
i cann't see this happening at all. just more paper talk.
not only that, but surely j.terry's untimate ambition considering he's been with c.f.c since the age of about 9 is to win the champions league with chelsea, espically after what happened in last seasons final.
By rich.. Posted November 23 2008 at 4:48 PM.
Fantastic! Mr Chelsea will go to citeh, become washed up next season with Ball, Dunne and Richards beside him, Chelsea will fall apart in defence and thus crumble to aLiverpool and Arsenal level, Rio will be England captain and United will dominate practically unopposed for many more years to come! Sir Alex must have recommended citeh to the arabs with such a genious plan!
By Seabass.. Posted November 23 2008 at 3:29 PM.
city r a joke. money cant buy every thing
By andrew .. Posted November 23 2008 at 3:25 PM.
Terry a bottler Danny Boy... you muppet.
By Ty.. Posted November 23 2008 at 3:15 PM.
its more like 7 million and youve got his advarage salary per year ... but hes only woth about 14m not even that maby 7
By Nick.. Posted November 23 2008 at 1:18 PM.
oh you sad sad people, everybody in their right minds know that money does buy success otherwise you rent boy's would still be in the same mid table mediocrity as you have been for the last 70 years, man city have got plenty of class, plenty of history and now they've got plenty of wonga to go with it so stop wasting your precious time writing drivel and get on with your pathetic lives, leave your mother's and try and get yourselves girlfriends then you would'nt have so much time on your hands
By paul kirby.. Posted November 23 2008 at 1:15 PM.
im a cfc fan, (and i go to games) but am i the only one who thinks football is being run by money launderers leagally cleaning upo their money (allegedly) and they are ruining our SPORT !!
By keith.. Posted November 23 2008 at 12:22 PM.
I THINK THAT CITY SHOULD GIVE THEM MIKA RICHARDS AND 30 MIL FOR JOHN TERRY!!
By TAK.. Posted November 23 2008 at 12:32 PM.
CMON THE LIVERPOOL WE ARE GOIN TO BE CHAMPS NO SWEAT TERRY IS TERRIBLE ANYWAY MAN CITY FOR RELAGATION
By danny boi.. Posted November 23 2008 at 12:20 PM.
its a sad state of affairs when players are being offerd 200 k a week some of us want make that in a lifetime,i think they should cap it at 100k because teams like chelsea and man utd etc are gonna waste our beautiful game.
By kelvan.. Posted November 23 2008 at 11:57 AM.
John Terry? Mark Hughes should have told his Arab owners he intended to build his team around Robinho, his 'bird-in-hand' who has taken very little time to settle extradinarily well into Manchester City in general, and the Premiere League in particular; which short duration evinces his quality as a leader.
By CL Jr... Posted November 23 2008 at 11:56 AM.
Why leave the best team in the country for one thats trying to get there. No chance.
By Jonathan Smart.. Posted November 23 2008 at 10:45 AM.
Danny boy is an infantile cretin with a comment like that, and thats coming from a WHU supporter
By terry wright.. Posted November 23 2008 at 10:31 AM.
If they are silly enough to pay 60m for JT then good luck to them. They have spent a fortune already are still in the bottom half, which is where they will be at the end of the season.
And why all the spiteful comments on JT? he might not be the best centre half in the world, but he doesn't beat people up, stuff cocaine up his nose, cheat on his wife with slappers etc as some premiership superstars do (allegedly), and he is definitely not a bottler.
Man city have no class, they will always be inferior to Man U, good grief they are inferior to Wigan and Bolton.
They are like Newcastle, championship teams with deluded supporters.
By Kerry.. Posted November 23 2008 at 10:37 AM.
I am not a City fan but I would lovr to see them put together a fantasy football team. However there is a vacancy in the Big 4 right now, City, even with the squad they have now have more than enough potential to get up there, however they are not. I think any big money should be held back until June, Let Mourinho win the Serie A with Inter and then lure him over and sack Hughes, Mourinho can turn anyone into champions and with the spending power available would make City an incredible force and I mean Champions League winners. I wouldnt give Hughes an open cheque book. Even with Buffon and co, City will be fighting for an Intertoto place again this season. The buck does stop with the manager. Hughes is not in the "Big 4 league".
By Tony Regan.. Posted November 23 2008 at 10:40 AM.
Haha here we go again. Pick any player in the world, spin the the dice 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 million, link them with City and run a sensational story with no quotes. Pathetic. Why would anyone pay 60m for Terry anyway? CTID
By Danny.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:48 AM.
The Circus at wasteland just gets funnier and funnier. No one will join a club languishing in the bottom half. Smell the coffee Blues and get ready for your 33rd anniversary
By Red Rich.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:36 AM.
Don't want the spiteful, horrible little man.
By Zebedee.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:36 AM.
that would be too much to turn down no matter what loyalty you felt, isnt beckham on £250k a week at galaxy?
By richard bloy.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:26 AM.
Loyalty is something money should not be able to buy. Look at Paul Scholes for example. How many top clubs would have loved him in their team. Some players are jorneymen other loyal servants. Stay at Chelsea John the City's bubble will burst.
By Adrian.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:30 AM.
Loyalty is something money should not be able to buy. Look at Paul Scholes for example. How many top clubs would have loved him in their team. Some players are jorneymen other loyal servants. Stay at Chelsea John the City's bubble will burst.
By Adrian.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:30 AM.
Ok, How many more rumours are these lunatic writers going to think of? Buffon, Villa.....not Terry????? HA!!! Im a blue and even I dont see any of those guys coming to City. I can see City makin big signings, but John Terry??? Please! Next these guys will say theat Pele has signed at city
By Pete City fan in America.. Posted November 23 2008 at 9:03 AM.
John Terry is a loyal Chelsea player and captain of the club. As a boy he was a Man United fan. I believe these two things mean he would never be able to play for Man City. If he does, it is a sad sign of what football has become.
By SJ.. Posted November 23 2008 at 8:50 AM.
city r never gunnabe a great team...never mind the how much cash pumped in! and nor chelsea are...no history..no passion.. just rich mans subbuteo!!!
By danny boy.. Posted November 23 2008 at 8:45 AM.
first of all its not the death of the game as its been dead for ages. Also, I cannot believe that someone would want to buy Terry he's a liability and a bottler.
By SE7 Expat.. Posted November 23 2008 at 8:44 AM.
Hilarious! Man City playing Chelsea at their own game. If you can't unsettle them on the pitch - why not do if off the pitch?
By Graeme.. Posted November 23 2008 at 8:28 AM.
Whats the point ? Football has simply turned into a money circus now.....what is loyalty ? In current times if you are getting more you simply move on period....It would not surprise me if JT moved on, perhaps not because he wants to but he may be forced too......
By Vik.. Posted November 23 2008 at 6:52 AM.
Has the silly season started already ? 50 million for Buffon, sixty million for JT. Anyone else out there ?
By Hamad Lone.. Posted November 23 2008 at 4:50 AM.
I want to picture terry and lampart
By husna khami .. Posted November 23 2008 at 1:55 AM.
John Terry would never leave Chelsea for Manchester City IMO.
By paul.. Posted November 23 2008 at 12:37 AM.
Theirs no chance of Terry signing for city he is to loyal to Chelsea,it would be a great buy for City though,only way he will leave,is if Abramovich wants some of the money he invested
By Kev Roche.. Posted November 23 2008 at 12:32 AM.
The death of the game if it was to happen.
By Nick.. Posted November 23 2008 at 12:54 AM.