John Terry rejected three MLS clubs in January to stay with Chelsea — report

The Daily Star’s chief football writer brings us this EXCLUSIVE, which isn’t exactly the most promising way to begin a post, but here were are. This is what we’ve been reduced to without European football. Do you see this, Conte & Co? Do you see this? Please get us back to where we “belong”. Surely, we can make a better fist of it than Arsenal. (LOL.)

But I digress.

So, John Terry.

The Daily Star’s Jeremy Woods claims that John Terry rejected not one, not two, but three offers from MLS over January. LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, and Orlando City were all apparently keen and all were ready with lucrative offers. Which doesn’t necessarily make sense — the offers, not the rejections — even for MLS and their addiction to fading European stars. MLS tend to reserve “lucrative” offers (i.e. Designate Players) for attacking players. That’s why Lampard, Drogba, Kaká, Gerrard all got fat contracts while Ashley Cole went there on a regular salary that counts towards the wage cap.

In fact, there was a story at the end of last season precisely about this, of there being no MLS team willing to offer that sort of money for Terry. It’s tough to believe that anything in the intervening six months would’ve changed that situation.

But it makes for a decent story and we can toast to Terry’s loyalty or whatever — even though he’s never indicated anything other than wanting to stay at least through the end of the season, so it’s not like his loyalty, for whatever such a concept is worth in modern football, was ever in question.

That said, it would be quite nice to see one of our club legends actually retire while still at the club. Not that such a thing diminishes or enhances any legacies — certainly no question about the places of legends like Lampard, Drogba, Cech, Cole, etc. in the club’s pantheon — it would just look good and make for a feel-great story.