John Terry reveals Chelsea star was ‘gutted’ by deadline day transfer | OneFootball

Chelsea legend John Terry insists that Tosin Adarabioyo told him he was “gutted” after Xabi Alonso informed the defender he wasn’t in his plans.

Alonso’s side didn’t bring in any players on deadline day but Marc Guiu (£14.6m, RB Leipzig), Deivid Washington (undisclosed, Strasbourg), Dario Essugo (loan, Strasbourg), Mykhaylo Mudryk (loan, Tottenham), Tosin (£10m, Tottenham) and Enzo Fernandez (£125m, Manchester City) all completed moves away from Stamford Bridge.

Tosin had only been at Stamford Bridge for a couple of years after joining Chelsea on a free transfer in 2024 from west London rivals Fulham.

But the writing had been on the wall for his future at Chelsea with Alonso leaving him out of his first three matchday squads of the new season.

And Terry revealed that he spoke to Tosin after his £10m move to Tottenham was confirmed with the Manchester City academy product “gutted” to be told he wasn’t part of Alonso’s plans.

Terry said in an interview with GBFC: “I was speaking to Tosin the other day and I was like, ‘What did the manager say?’ And he was like, ‘I’m just not in his plans.

“He said, ‘Listen, fully respect it. I’d love to kind of prove him wrong here, but I’ve been told I’d need to find another club and he’s going, I’m gutted because I’ve only been here a couple of years’.

“So he’s obviously disappointed with that, Tosin, but the manager makes it really clear, so honest with the players, there’s no kind of grey area in there at all.

“He’s made it clear that he really likes Josh Acheampong at the moment, and that he’s played a couple of games as well and seems like he’s the future.

“He’d rather have him around than Tosin, so allowing these players to go is right, because what people don’t see as well, when you’ve got a first team dressing room of 24, 26 players in that room, up the corridor, there’s a dressing room for the maybe eight or 10 players that don’t want to be there, that want to be out playing elsewhere, that have to train with a different coach, completely separate away from the [under] 21s and completely separate away from the first team.”

Terry continued: “You have to eat at different times. You’re treated so differently; it’s horrible. I’ve seen it, I’ve tried to change this even when I played. I really didn’t like it in the building.

“I tried to integrate the group, but then kind of post-retirement, you fully understand they’re my 24, 26 players; I need to work with these; they have to be my full focus.

“I can’t worry about Tosin and Mudryk and these guys that are kind of in and around it, that are not in my plans at all.

“So I really like how cutthroat it is. And I know that probably sounds harsh as well, but I think players, especially today, really appreciate the honesty.

“And Tosin gets his deal, which allows him to play regular football and also for Mudryk an opportunity to play week in, week out as a loan for the season and then see where that ends up at the end of it.”

Chelsea left short in one area – Terry

On Chelsea’s overall business, Terry added: “I just feel that’s the one position we’re probably left short.

“Everywhere else, I think I’m happy. But in terms of that, it feels like we’ve kind of missed one, I feel, in the market. You spoke about Adam Wharton, who I’m a big fan of as well.

“Jordan Henderson, I still think he has a big part to play at our club. Now, that’s probably not starting week in, week out. But in terms of, again, being that Enzo, driving those standards and being around, and it’s not just the puppet to be here and kind of be those clapping and kind of wishing players well.

“He’s still a top, top player and still will offer a lot for us. But I do think we’ve missed one in terms of that [midfielder]. But I just think overall, I’m really happy in terms of the market and the window we’ve had.”