Done in 24 hours: Aston Villa set to complete first summer signing – report
By Matt Farr
Aston Villa are set to complete the signing of veteran defender John Terry on Monday, according to a report.
The newspaper claim that the 36-year-old is set to put pen-to-paper on a one-year-deal at the Championship club, after his contract at Premier League champions Chelsea expired at the end of last season.
Terry has only been a free-agent for a short period, but looks set to grace the pitch at Villa Park for the duration of the 2017-18 campaign despite a host of offers from elsewhere, including from the Premier League.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has made a concerted push to bring the England veteran to the club over the last coupe of weeks, and appears on the brink of striking a deal to make him his first signing of the summer.
The experienced centre-back made 690 appearances during his 20-year-long stay at Stamford Bridge, scoring 65 goals and supplying 29 assists.
But his long-term affiliation with the Blues saw him adamant to choose a destination where he would not come up against his former club, meaning he is happy to drop down to the second-tier with Villa.
An earlier report by the Sun last month claimed that Terry was set to sign a deal worth £60,000-per-week, with Villa more than capable of paying his top-flight wages due to the financial muscle of owner Dr Tony Xia.
Football Insider verdict
What a massive coup this could be. Aston Villa are still a huge club, despite being in the Championship, and their presence in the second-tier has not prevented them from snapping up a player of Terry’s calibre. There may be doubts over his current ability, but he should be fairly low-risk signing over the next 12 months. Bruce has been crying out for a player of Terry’s experience and calibre to aid his club’s promotion bid for the upcoming campaign, and they will surely benefit from his one-year tenancy at the heart of the defence.
In other Aston Villa transfer news, the club must sign this free agent who has been an icon at their bitter rivals.
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