Chelsea defender John Terry is not in talks over a possible loan move to Bournemouth for the rest of the season, Eddie Howe has confirmed.
The 35-year-old has struggled for playing time under Antonio Conte in recent months, with the Italian tactician preferring a back-three consisting of Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill.
Terry’s comeback to the starting line-up last weekend ended in disappointing fashion after being sent off in the FA Cup win over Peterborough, and speculation this week has linked him with a move away from Stamford Bridge.
However, Howe has moved to dismiss that speculation and has insisted that they are not in negotiations over a loan deal for the next six months.
“No. No negotiations with Chelsea at all,” said Howe, as reported by Sky Sports. “I admire John Terry greatly as a footballer, he’s one of my favourite ever central defenders.”
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it’s expected that Terry will call time on his playing career in the summer and pursue a new chapter in coaching.
In turn, if he isn’t moving on this month, then he will likely have to settle for a back-up role to offer Conte depth and cover as Chelsea continue to march on in their pursuit of the Premier League title.
Meanwhile, the Cherries manager also reflected on the decision from Chelsea to recall Nathan Ake this week, and was unsurprisingly disappointed to lose the Dutch youngster given the improvements he was making and the impact he had on the team.
“It was a disappointment Nathan Ake was recalled,” Howe added. “He was improving with every game and was putting in consistent performances.”
“Chelsea have every right to recall him and we respect them for that. We hope the loan benefited all parties.”
From Ake’s perspective, he’ll be desperate to avoid moving back and just sitting on the bench, as he would certainly have been benefiting from playing week in and week out at the Vitality Stadium.