Birmingham City could lose out in the race to sign Chelsea defender John Terry this summer, according to The Mirror.
Birmingham have led the way to sign Terry so far, with manager Harry Redknapp reportedly putting a “very genuine” offer on the table. It is understood that the defender has been holding out for an offer of £100,000 a week, and was mulling over a contract offer from Birmingham.
However, Birmingham could be set to lose out to bitter rivals Aston Villa. Villa manager Steve Bruce has now also offered Terry a contract, which is understood to be worth more money. This puts the ball back in Birmingham’s court, and Redknapp will have to decide just how much he is willing to pay to have Terry at the club next season.
It was announced recently that Terry will leave Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of this month after 22 years at the club. The defender made a total of 717 appearances for Chelsea, scoring a very impressive 67 goals. He has also played 78 times for England, but retired from international football in September 2012.
Now 36, Terry may be looking for his last club and so the decision of who to sign for this summer will be a big one for him. Both Birmingham and Aston Villa have highly-respected managers in Harry Redknapp and Steve Bruce and this could sway Terry’s decision.
However, £100,000 per week is a lot of money for a Championship side to be paying a player. Signing Terry will no doubt be a massive morale boost for whichever club completes the deal but his wages could end up being a burden, especially if he gets injured.
