Football Insane

Chelsea want inspirational captain John Terry to stay at the club “forever” according to new Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti.

England skipper Terry has been linked with a mega-money move to Chelsea’s cash-rich Premier League rivals Manchester City.

But while City aspire to be one of England’s leading clubs, Chelsea already are and Ancelotti, the former AC Milan boss, said he wanted centre-half Terry – who has spent all his senior career with the Blues – to stay in west London.

“John Terry is a symbol of this team,” Ancelotti said at his first news conference as Chelsea manager on Monday.

“He will be captain next season: he said he wants to stay forever and we want to keep him for ever,” the Italian added.

“Now there is a question of Man City, but for Terry (there is) no price.

“Terry will be at Chelsea forever.

“He said he wants to stay, there is no problem for him for us, the story continues – Chelsea and Terry.

“I like to have a captain like Terry, he is very close to (Paolo) Maldini for professionalism, for quality and he will be the best captain for Chelsea.

“I spoke with Terry a month ago when I came to the club and he said welcome. And after he went on holiday.

“I will speak with him because he is the captain and I want a good relationship with the captain.”

But asked if Chelsea, who have reportedly turned down an initial bid from City, would offer Terry a new, improved contract, Ancelotti added: “It’s not my problem.”

Ancelotti was less emphatic about whether Deco and Ricardo Carvalho would stay at Stamford Bridge after they were both linked with moves to Inter Milan.

“Carvalho and Deco are Chelsea players,” he said.

“If in the future a player wants to go they have to speak with the club and we take the right decision for the player and for us.”

Meanwhile Ancelotti said the English giants had signed Russian international winger Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow.

He confirmed the arrival of Zhirkov and former Manchester City forward Daniel Sturridge at Stamford Bridge by saying: “Zhirkov, Sturridge -these are Chelsea players.”

Asked where he saw Zhirkov fitting into the team, Anceotti said: “Zhirkov is naturally on the left.

“I think he can do all the work and can play in defence and in between.”

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