Chelsea Transfer News: Steven N'Zonzi Rumours, Latest on John Terry

Chelsea will reportedly face stiff competition from Juventus this summer in the race for Sevilla’s midfield linchpin Steven N’Zonzi.

According to AS (h/t Sport Witness), terms have already been agreed between the Italian champions and the player over a switch. However, it’s suggested in the report that Chelsea are still interested in the player.

Per Sport Witness, the midfielder is said to have a release clause of around €40 million (£34.7 million) in his current contract. Given the performances he’s turned in this season, that may well represent value for money for the 28-year-old.

These numbers from the Futbol de Andalucia Twitter feed sum up just how important N’Zonzi has been to the Sevilla cause:

The La Liga side have made some astute signings down the years, and the purchase of the midfielder from Stoke in 2015 is up there with the best.

N’Zonzi has blossomed as a footballer at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Physically, few midfielders can match up to him in Spain, meaning the Sevilla man bosses aerial battles, shields the ball superbly and shrugs challenging defenders off the ball.

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He’s an excellent passer too. As these numbers from Squawka Football show, N’Zonzi has proved he can manage games on the European stage:

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has the irrepressible N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic to call upon in the middle of the park, although with the Blues set to be in the UEFA Champions League next season, they’d need cover in this position.

Juventus would be an attractive option for N’Zonzi, of course, but the chance to return to the Premier League and showcase the improvements he’s made as a player would be tantalising.

Mark Hughes Admits John Terry Interest

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Stoke manager Mark Hughes has revealed he was keen to sign Chelsea captain John Terry earlier in the campaign.

Terry has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge under Conte, with his style not suited to the 3-4-3 setup the Italian has implemented. Hughes has revealed talks were held about a potential switch when Stoke took on Chelsea in December.

"I played with John when he was just starting off, and it was a conversation after the Chelsea game [in late December] in terms of what he’s going to do," he said, per Tim Nash of the Daily Mirror. "You’d imagine he’s looking to have one or two seasons where he’s playing regularly. So you look for opportunities that will give him that."

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According to Sam Long of the Evening Standard, the Blues captain will not be offered a new contract when his deal runs out at the end of the season. 

At 36, the centre-back’s best days as a player are behind him, but it’s easy to see how a side like Stoke would benefit from his influence.

He’s never really been dynamic across the ground, and, if protected at the heart of the defence, Terry can still be combative, dominate in the air and win tackles. Additionally, the former England international is a revered leader and organiser.

It’ll be disappointing for Terry to leave Stamford Bridge having enjoyed so much success with the football club. However, it seems as though the veteran defender will not be short of offers should he be pushed into pursuing another challenge elsewhere.