Conte insists Chelsea skipper won’t leave for Bournemouth

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insists captain and centre-back John Terry won’t leave the club this month for Bournemouth. 

The out of favour defender has been strongly linked with a loan move to the Vitality Stadium after the Blues exercised their right to recall Nathan Ake from his spell on the south coast. 

Terry, who is suspended for Chelsea’s trip to Leicester, hasn’t started a Premier League game since the 2-2 draw with Swansea back in September. 

The 36-year-old is out of contract in the summer and there have been no hints he will be offered a new deal in the coming weeks, heightening suggestions he could leave the club at the end of the season. 

However, when asked if there had been any conversations between himself and Terry over Bournemouth, Conte is quoted in the Guardian as saying: “Honestly, no. 

“And with John, I speak every day. John never talked to me about this situation and it means he is very happy to stay here and, above all, I am very happy John stays here and helps me. 

“John is an important player for me - if he plays or doesn’t play - because he’s a really important man in the changing room. This squad needs him. He’s a great player but also a great man and for me it’s fantastic to have a person like him to help me in my first season at Chelsea. I repeat, John stays with us. He is our player, he is in my squad.”

For more stats on John Terry, click here to view his WhoScored player page