Al-Shabab, a team in Saudi Arabia, is close to hiring Chelsea legend John Terry as its next manager.

Since retiring as a player, Terry has worked as an assistant coach at Aston Villa, Leicester City, and now for the Blues’ academy, where he brings a wealth of knowledge. But he has never been in charge as a head coach before.

Now, with Marcel Keizer’s resignation on Thursday, the Englishman is among the leading candidates for the Al-Shabab position. After just six weeks in command, the club fired the Dutch manager after a dismal start to the season. Al-Shabab won just two of its first five league games.

John Terry agrees to deal in principle with Saudi Arabia club

The club named former Argentina U-23 and Ismaily manager Juan Brown as the team’s temporary coach. Now, the attention of Al-Shabab shifted to John Terry.

The Sun reports the Middle Eastern side contacted Terry two months ago. The two agreed on a contract in principle. Terry, who is 42, earned a contract with a minimum term of two years. He has an option for four years at Al-Shabab. and a contract has now been agreed upon in principle.

The report adds that Chelsea, which he has dedicated so much time and energy to over the years would let him quit his current position to pursue opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

There, he would meet Steven Gerrard, his former colleague with the English national team and now the manager of Al-Ettifaq. The Liverpool great is just one of several former Premier League players who have found success in Saudi Arabia. 

Who is Al-Shabab?

Al-Shabab has been in contact with many notable managers. For example, it contacted former Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier. In the Saudi Pro League, Shabab is not one of the powerhouse teams controlled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). However, a number of high-profile players have joined the Riyadh club, including the Belgian international Yannick Carrasco.

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