Chelsea "baffled" by John Terry announcement

Chelsea have reportedly been left "baffled" by John Terry's impromptu decision to announce that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The veteran defender told reporters yesterday that he had not been offered a new contract by the Blues and would consequently seek a new club overseas this summer, while Chelsea later issued a statement clarifying that a new deal was still possible.

According to a report in The Telegraph, Terry asked his agent Paul Nicholls to meet with the club last month to discuss the possibility of a contract extension covering the 2016-17 season.

Chelsea executives are said to have told Nicholls that they were unable to provide a definitive answer until they had appointed a new permanent manager to take over from interim boss Guus Hiddink.

The newspaper claims that Terry and his agent then made "an ultimatum" to force through the contract extension in January, but the club held firm.

During his 18 seasons with the senior side, Terry has amassed 14 major honours with Chelsea, including four Premier League titles.