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Manchester City have been given fresh encouragement in their pursuit of John Terry by the player's reluctance to publicly pledge his future to Chelsea.
Terry met with new boss Carlo Ancelotti for the first time yesterday to have talks about the forthcoming season and also spoke with club director Eugene Tenenbaum.
Neither Roman Abramovich nor chief executive Peter Kenyon were at the club's Cobham training ground to meet their skipper fuelling speculation about Terry's future.
The England defender is believed to want assurances from the Chelsea hierarchy about how much they value him with City waiting in the wings to pounce at any sign of a split.
Terry is concerned over the lack of major signings so far this summer and is also looking to get a new contract in light of Mark Hughes's team being prepared to pay him £200,000 a week.
Chelsea remain confident that they will succeed in bringing more quality players to the club before the transfer window closes next month and are prepared to start negotiations over a new deal in due course.
But City have been encouraged by Terry's failure to make a statement committing his future to Stamford Bridge even though Chelsea are also adamant the defender is not for sale.
They have already turned down two bids for their captain from City's billionaire Arab owners and are braced for more contact before the 31 August transfer deadline.
Terry said he hoped the club would bring in players of the quality of David Villa and Franck Ribery but so far Daniel Sturridge, Ross Turnbull and Yuri Zhirkov are the only signings that have been made by Ancelotti.
The Italian knows he faces a battle to hold on to Terry and it won't help his relationship with the fans if their skipper heads to the north-west.
The defender enjoyed a special relationship with former manager Jose Mourinho and Ancelotti has the tough task of trying to emulate the Portuguese's success at Stamford Bridge, where he won five major trophies in the space of three years.
Mourinho and Ancelotti didn't enjoy the best of relationships last season with the duo in charge of Inter Milan and AC Milan respectively.
Three managers have come and gone since Mourinho was fired two years ago and the Special One is still revered by most Chelsea fans.
But Ancelotti is not scared at the challenge of having to match his achievements and is confident he can deliver the success that will win the crowd over.
He said: "I think Mourinho is a great coach because he won a lot of trophies but it's not a war between Mourinho and Ancelotti.
"It's normal that he is popular in Chelsea because he won the Premier League but I also want to win it. I also want to be popular with the fans.
"I'm not sure if the period of time here will be long or short but I want the people to remember me."
Meanwhile, defender Paulo Ferreira is making good progress after suffering a knee ligament injury in February.
He joined in light training yesterday although is not expected to be fit for the start of the season.
Reader views (21)
Let him join the other crocks at Man City. Its sort of convalescence home for over -priced ,injury prone, players who can recover for free in the almost finished villas in Dubai
City will never be able to field the first team.
- Terry, Hennebont France
Let him join the other crocks at Man City. Its sort of convalescence home for over -priced ,injury prone, players who can recover for free in the almost finished villas in Dubai
City will never be able to field the first team.
- Terry, Hennebont France
i have huge respect for john terry commiment as a player in the past but has his commitement to the club has changed like football in this country ?
its sad that he wishes or has shown interest in a club now built around its financial clout...
chelsea also posses financial clout i here you say the difference is the majority of players play for chelsea for loyalty and the love of club and its Historic values which is due to there sucess not just for its money.
- James, uk
Terry will be joining a bigger club than Chelsea. I can't say I blame him
- Bob, London
I've always been a fan of JT, but he is injury prone and 28. If the classless Mancs want to give us £40m take it. My loyalty is to the club, if a player wears the shirt, fine, when they don't want to anymore, that's fine. JT is not irreplaceable.
- Kerry, Purley
JT has a simple choice really,extra money or trohies.He's too old and too injury prone to be around long enough to wait for City to win things.I cannot believe he will leave Chelsea while he still has a chance to make up for his Moscow mistake and Chelsea definately have chances for a lot more domestic honours over the next few seasons.
- Alan, Leatherhead UK
We took robinho form under your noses then tevez and now Mr Chelsea.. Cant wait for jose to come to eastlands next..... Move over boys your 15 mins are up
- Failsworth Blue, Failsworth m/cr
i agree completely with Buttcheek. Terry has been found wanting on several occasions. No one is irreplacebale. Except Lampard.
- Rob12345, Putney, London
The escalating money-chasing among footballers is becoming more obscene by the day. many of these players, like many A-list rock starts don't live in the real world any more, and are becoming more and more detached as their ego spirals upwards at the same speed as their wage demands. Do people like John Terry, Ashley Cole, Ronaldo and the rest realise that one week's wages for them would pay,for example, for the inoculation the whole population of some African countries against a whole range of life-threatening diseases? Probably not.
- Paul, London, UK
Not one quote or direct comment from Terry - this is all spin from Man City.
- Peter Bench, London
I cannot believe what is going on Steve Gerrard has just signed a deal for the rest of his career at 110 000.00 pounds a week terry is on 135,000.00 and talking about being a true blue he shoud give his mate a call and talk about loyalty good on you Stevie Gerrard its not about the money its about the club the fans who love him.I think the fans will think john Terry is in this for the money and not the club.
I say let him go if its about money let him chase the money chelsea need a stevie Gerrard not a Gareth Barry
maybe if he goes to man city he will get a cheaper Holiday because he is always in Dubai
let him go to Man City and kiss the cash and not the Badge
- Jeanette Peck, Iver Bucks
I hope the rumors are not true, and, Terry stays, as he is a great servant to the club! If they are true, no improved contract should be on offer, that is called 'blackmail'(kissing badges & loyalty is from the heart, not, for the pocket) £40mil for a player with injury problems, in a position we are well covered, seems to me to be an offer to good to refuse! Either way, my club will not be the loser, over to you John!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
If these reports are to be believed Terry has grown too big for his boots and Chelsea should cash in on him now if City are prepared to pay £40m for him. As soon as any player start trying to dictate transfer policy, it's time to go.
- Sonny, London, UK
The only people in this country who should be referred to as plastic glory hunters are football players. Every, single last one of them.
- John Entwistle, Hertford
Terry is a declining asset. He is aged 28, has had several injuries and if Chelsea could get £40m for him why not?
- David, edinburgh
Its time to get rid of the players that have no pace Man city will pay good money for burnt out players terry has no right to demand more money from chelsea he has spent a lot of the season injured he missed the kick that could have won chelsea the champions league and has shown his lack of pace on numerous occasions sell him to man city and get someone with some pace .
- Buttcheek, london england
" It originally came from people connected to Chelsea" LOL Yeah righto, Chelsea stand to gain loads by planting stories to try and destabalise their own team !
You should right for a tabloib with Crackers like that !
- Fct, Surrey
Its time to get rid of the players that have no pace Man City will pay good money for burnt out players terry has no right to demand more money from chelsea he has spent a lot of the season injured he missed the kick that could have won chelsea the champions league and has shown his lack of pace on numerous occasions sell him to man ****ty and get someone with some pace .
- Buttcheek, london england
Tapping up? Not by Man City. They didn't go to the media with this. It originally came from people connected to Chelsea.
- Jon, London
So terry is 'Blue forever' after all, but maybe just light blue? Well, I guess it's hard to struggle by on just £120k a week, even if you don't have to buy your own tracksuits thanks to mum.
- Paul, London
Chelsea have stated Terry isn't for sale, Terry stated in a magazine article just a month ago he wants to be a one club player reiterating what he stated when City bid for him in January.
There is no substance other than the fact Terry hasn't repeated himself (why should he have to?) and the fact Abramovich and Kenyon weren't at Cobham yesterday. Do you not think they may have already spoken to Terry over the phone?
Or is it simply another attempt at tapping a player up via the press?
- Fct, Surrey
