Gus Poyet hopes Chelsea's John Terry will move to China but rule change could scupper deal

Shanghai Shenhua manager Gus Poyet hopes Chelsea captain John Terry will swap west London for China in the summer and believes the former England skipper has 'plenty to teach' East Asia's young starlets.

Terry has been a peripheral figure at Stamford Bridge under Antonio Conte and will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after enjoying a trophy-laden 17-year spell with his boyhood club. The 36-year-old has no shortage of suitors, with West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth both interested in his services.

Poyet, who turned out for both Chelsea and Tottenham during his playing career, thinks Terry would be a wanted man by all Chinese Super League clubs if not for the rule which prohibits teams from playing more than three foreign players per match.

The Uruguayan thinks Chinese clubs are not interested in buying foreign defenders because of the regulation, which was put in place in January, but still hopes to see the Chelsea legend plying his trade in China.

"If you asked me this question in December, I would say to you that for sure he'd [Terry] be in China," Poyet told Omnisport, relayed by The Daily Mail. "The problem with this change of new rules, there aren't many clubs looking to buy defenders. So that's the only thing that goes a little bit against JT.

"But as a friend I would love to see him here because he's got plenty to teach.I think that the older players can help the younger players in China to become better players, better defenders, and I think it will be a great example for the young defenders in China."

Terry was afforded a brief cameo by Conte during Chelsea's 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Monday evening (8 May) and will hope to see more action on Friday night when the Blues face West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in a game that could see them clinch their fifth Premier League title.