Chelsea legend 'agrees' blockbuster deal to leave Stamford Bridge for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is on the verge of signing yet another super star from Chelsea as the league aims to establish itself as a new superpower in world football.

The Pro League’s vast riches and ambition has already attracted the likes of N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, while winger Hakim Ziyech failed a medical at Al Nassr before eventually switching to Turkey.

But their business has not yet finished and a Pro League club has now agreed terms to sign a former Chelsea and England captain.

Sky Sports reports that John Terry is on the verge of joining Saudi side Al-Shabab FC as their new manager, in a move that will see him leave his role with the Chelsea academy.

Terry enjoyed a 19-year playing career with the Blues which saw him lift five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, one Champions League and one Europa League. The defender remains the most successful central defender in Chelsea’s history.

Terry has worked in a number of coaching roles since retiring from football in 2018 and he has worked closely with Dean Smith as assistant manager of both Aston Villa and Leicester City.

In July 2023, he returned to Chelsea as an academy coach but it appears that this stint at the club will be short lived as he has ambitions of making a managerial breakthrough.

Who are Al-Shabab FC? 

Al-Shabab FC is a Saudi football club which competes in the top-flight. The team is situated in the nation's capital city Riyadh and they play at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium which has a capacity of around 22,000.

Al-Shabab are not yet regarded as one of the biggest club’s in Saudi Arabia and they have been less active in the transfer market then many of their domestic rivals, although they were able to recruit Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco and Strasbourg forward Habib Diallo.

However, bosses at Al-Shabab have high ambitions and they see John Terry as the perfect figure to boost the club’s profile whilst attracting big name talents. He has six years of coaching experience and has competed at the top level for most of the 21st century.

If the move is successful Terry will join former England team mates Steven Gerrard of Al-Ettifaq and Robbie Fowler of second tier Al-Qadsiah in the Middle East.