Boost for West Brom in John Terry transfer chase

The 36-year-old will end a 22-year association with the Blues when his contract expires, having won 14 major honours at Stamford Bridge since making his first-team debut in 1998.

Terry has been a bit-part player this season, featuring in just five Premier League games for Antonio Conte’s league leaders, and Baggies boss Tony Pulis admitted in March he would love to extend the former England captain’s playing career at The Hawthorns.

Terry has not featured since a 2-0 FA Cup win over Wolves in February, with his last league appearance coming in November.

Other than a loan spell at Nottingham Forest, Terry has never turned out for another side and has racked up more than 700 appearances at Chelsea.

But now the Blues skipper is ready to move on, even if he admits he is unsure what his future holds at this point.

“I will decide on my future in due course, but for now I am committed to helping the team achieve success this season,” he said. “After 22 years there is so much to say and so many people to thank at this great football club. From coaches, team-mates and staff to the fans who have given me so much support down the years, I can’t thank you enough.

“There will be opportunities for me to speak further about this over the coming weeks.

“I feel I still have plenty to offer on the pitch but understand that opportunities here at Chelsea will be limited for me.

“I’m eager to carry on playing and so will be looking to continue with a new challenge. I will of course always be a Blue and am desperate to end my final season as a Chelsea player with more silverware.”

And that new challenge could be in the West Midlands, if Albion get their way.

“If he becomes available in the summer we’ll sit down and have a little think about what we’ve got and what we haven’t got and then we’ll take it from there,” said Pulis in March.

“That is for the summer, not now. Whether the situation changes, whether other people are involved, or whether he signs another contract at Chelsea, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Terry has lifted four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, a hat-trick of League Cups and the Europa League, as well as lifting the Champions League trophy in 2012 despite being suspended for the final against Bayern Munich.