Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho refused to get caught up in the talk surrounding John Terry’s future after saying that the club still has a lot of time to decide on their captain.
Terry signed a one-year extension in the summer, but this deal came only at the last moment. The 34-year-old is facing another six months of uncertainty after he has not been awarded a new deal. The former England captain has been putting in some great performances. This has kept youngsters like Zouma out of the team, while the lack of international action has allowed him to recuperate sufficiently to play two matches every week.
Ahead of the difficult trip to St James’s Park on Saturday, Mourinho said that Terry is a player that the club would like to keep but they have not offered him a new deal just yet. The situation faced by Terry is similar to that of Frank Lampard’s last season. The former England midfielder ended up leaving the club at the age of 36. Performances are unlikely to be a major factor in offering Terry a new contract, as the 34-year-old has been one of the consistent performers in the Premier League over the last decade. Age will play a crucial role since the captain will be 35 before the turn of next year.
“It’s not time to speak about it but he knows what I think and what I feel. The board also knows what I think, but we don’t feel the need to share with you. Both Chelsea and John have been clear throughout that we wanted his outstanding career at the club to continue and it is important the matter has been concluded so soon after the end of the season,” said Mourinho. A Terry-marshalled defence has the second-best defensive record in the league.