John Terry's next club: Who could the outgoing Chelsea captain join next?

Terry did not rule out a move to another Premier League club, but a move abroad will also appeal to the former England captain as he seeks a 'new challenge'

John Terry will join another club when he leaves Chelsea in the summer (Getty)

After 713 matches as a player and a record 578 as captain, John Terry has announced he is leaving Chelsea, the club he joined as a 14-year-old.

The centre-back made a similar announcement last year, only to go on and sign a new contract when Antonio Conte arrived as manager, extending his stay at Stamford Bridge into a 22nd year.

But after the player and club released a joint-statement on Monday afternoon, it appears certain that the former England captain will leave the Premier League club in the summer, though he did hint at a future return in a non-playing role.

Terry is Chelsea’s most decorated player in their history, having won 14 major trophies during his time with the club, and has the chance to add two more with the Blues leading the Premier League and facing Tottenham in this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals.

Here, we take a look at where the 36-year-old might go next:

China

The current favoured location for ageing stars looking for a new adventure and a colossal pay day. As long-time skipper of the Blues, Terry already has a strong following in Asia and even embarked on his own 'Captain China Tour' in 2015. Two of Terry's ex-managers are currently in charge of Chinese clubs, with Luiz Felipe Scolari at Guangzhou Evergrande and Sven-Goran Eriksson in the second tier with Shenzhen FC. He would join a cabal of former Chelsea men in the country, with Oscar, Ramires, John Obi Mikel, Oscar, Alexandre Pato and Ricardo Carvalho all signed up.

United Arab Emirates

Terry's former Blues team-mate Dan Petrescu is managing in the UAE with Al Nasr and the Romanian has suggested recently he would be keen to make his friend an offer. There is enough money in the league to make it a viable option, and a personal relationship with the boss cannot hurt. Al Nasr are based in Dubai, a destination Terry has been known to favour for holidays, so, despite the relative lack of profile, do not rule it out.

The United States

Terry revealed in an interview at the end of 2015 he could see "maybe there is a time" when he would look to go to play in America, making Major League Soccer a possible destination. Several of his England contemporaries - Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham - crossed the Atlantic to close out their careers, and Terry would not want for suitors.


 Steven Gerrard was one of many Premier League stars that moved to the MLS 
 (Getty)

Premier League

Whether or not Terry will consider a move to another English club at this stage of his career is an open question. His statement did not rule it out, but a strong suspicion remains that he will head for new shores when he hangs up his blue shirt. Bournemouth have been touted as the likeliest option, with Eddie Howe on the lookout for defensive reinforcements and Jack Wilshere's loan move showing their ambition to move for big name players. West Ham appear the likeliest London club to throw their hat in the ring, should he wish to stay in the capital, while West Bromwich Albion have also been linked.


 Eddie Howe attempted to sign Terry in January 
 (Getty)

Portugal

An Instagram post from February appeared to confirm Terry was learning Portuguese. Would one of the country's bigger names - Benfica, Porto or Sporting Lisbon - be tempted to take him on, or might he look lower down the table if a coaching opportunity came into the bargain?


 Terry has been learning Portuguese (Getty)
 (Getty Images)

Australia

Terry led Chelsea in a glamour friendly against Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium, which attracted a crowd of some 83,598, in June 2015. There would certainly be plenty of interest in making Terry one of the A-League's marquee players.

Additional reporting by PA