West Brom may move for Terry in the summer

Ian Watson

West Brom boss Tony Pulis has indicated the club may try to sign John Terry in the summer, having made an enquiry about the Chelsea captain in January.

Terry has played only once in the Premier League for leaders Chelsea since September and his current deal with them expires after the season finishes.

On Friday The Times reported the 36-year-old defender will consider joining another English top-flight side over the summer and that he received an offer to move to Albion in January, with Stoke and Bournemouth also said to have shown interest.

When asked about the link with Terry at his Friday press conference to preview West Brom’s league trip to Everton, Pulis said: “I’ve always thought he was a good player.

“It was just finding out what the situation was and then it was whether we moved on it or we didn’t.

“There was more than one player we enquired about in January. You’ve mentioned John, but there were most probably three or four others of that ilk that we were enquiring about – and I think enquiry is the word.

“There was no approach made, it was just finding out what the situation was, and the situation was that John wanted to stay at Chelsea.

“I think he wanted to be there and stay there and be part of going out as a champion.

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

Pulis has the likes of 37-year-old centre-back Gareth McAuley, who is close to signing a new deal, in his defence at the moment.

And when it was put to him that Terry would fit in well in terms of him liking experienced players, Pulis said: “That is for the summer, not now, and whether the situation changes, or whether other people are involved, or whether he signs another contract at Chelsea.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

Pulis is set to enter talks with West Brom over another contract extension of his own, although he has stressed there is ”no rush”.

The 59-year-old, whose side are eighth in the table, signed a one-year extension in October that runs to 2018.

And on the prospect of another new deal for him, Baggies chairman John Williams said last month: ”It would be (a) recommendation to my colleagues in China (West Brom’s owners) that…I would be more than happy to see his contract extended.”

Asked on Friday if he was ready to talk to Williams about that, Pulis said: ”Yes, I’ll sit down with John and we’ll have a chat.

”He’s coming up to Everton this weekend, so we’ll sit down and have a chat.

”But there’s no rush.”

West Brom were beaten 2-0 at home by Pulis’ old club Crystal Palace last time out, but that was their first defeat in six league games.

They are on 40 points from 27 matches going into Saturday’s clash with seventh-placed Everton, who are four points better off.