Why West Brom would be the ideal destination for departing Chelsea captain John Terry

Premier League leaders Chelsea suffered a fifth league defeat of the season on Sunday after going down 2-0 away at Manchester United.

Antonio Conte’s men had seen second place Tottenham reduce the gap at the summit to four points after they thumped Bournemouth on Saturday, yet the Blues were unable to respond, as they put in a lacklustre display to lose to Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils.

And it means that, with just six games of the season remaining, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are only four points adrift, and given that they have won their last seven matches, the title race is far from over.

And the two sides meet next weekend in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley, and although Conte’s men have much to play for between now and May (the domestic double is on), it hasn’t stopped speculation arising about potential incomings and outgoings at Stamford Bridge this summer.

And one man who looks set to leave the club this summer is centre-back John Terry, with the 36-year-old confirming on Monday that he would end his 22-year association with the club at the end of the current campaign.

Unsurprisingly, speculation has already been building about where the former England captain may end up next season, and one club who have been linked with him, West Brom, may be the ideal destination for Terry at the twilight of his career.

And that’s because West Brom are arguably one of the best defensive teams in the division under the guidance of Tony Pulis.

The Baggies are eighth in the Premier League table and currently head the informal ‘best of rest’ league with 44 points from their 33 games.

And a lot of that is built on the foundations laid by Pulis in a defensive aspect, with the backline consisting of Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans, and Craig Dawson only having to worry about defending, and very little else.

And it’s something that has certainly worked given that Pulis’ men conceded just 48 goals last term, his first full season in charge at the Hawthorns, and achieved 43 points, while this season they have already beaten that tally and still have five games remaining.

And much of that has been built on the performances of goalkeeper Ben Foster, who has been outstanding, as well as the efforts of McAuley, Dawson, and Evans, with the latter of which attracting interest from the higher echelons of the top-flight.

Adding Terry into that pool of supremely capable defenders will only strengthen their defensive solidity.

The 36-year-old has arguably been one of the best centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen, and even as recently as the 2014/15 campaign, he was an integral part of Jose Mourinho’s title-winning side at Stamford Bridge, playing all 38 of their league matches that term.

And if he still has that desire to play and feels that he can still give a lot to a top-flight team, then West Brom may be his best bet.

He would bring unprecedented experience into a side that already has many seasoned professionals, while his character off the field and in the dressing room would hardly go amiss – he’s been there, he’s done it, and wants to continue doing it.

Ultimately, a signing like Terry may even help West Brom move to the next level.

They are eighth and are comfortably the best side outside of the top seven, but it’s difficult to see them breaking into that group, and thus achieving European football.

Yet that still could be done in the cup competitions, which is certainly something Pulis and his side should be looking at in the next few years.

The Baggies haven’t won the FA Cup since 1968, and you have to go back two more years for their last League Cup success, yet the foundations are there, and with flair players like Nacer Chadli and Matt Phillips in the ranks, they could go on a cup run.

Terry has won 16 major honours in his career, including five FA Cup titles, so having a winner like that in the squad can only be beneficial to Pulis and his side.