Joe Cole has warned Antonio Conte that Chelsea will have to spend big to replace John Terry.
The Chelsea captain will leave the Premier League leaders at the end of the 2016-17 season after struggling to make an impression under Antonio Conte.
The 36-year-old has struggled to dislodge Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and David Luiz as the Italian’s first-choice centre-halves in the 2016-17 season.
Terry has even fallen behind Netherlands Under-21 international Nathan Ake and former Saint-Etienne defender Kurt Zouma in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have been linked with a big-money move to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk in the summer transfer window.
Former Chelsea midfielder Cole, who won three Premier League titles alongside Terry, warned the Premier League leaders that the England legend will be expensive to replace.
“They’ll have to spend a lot of money to replace him. He’d love it out here [in America]. He’d be perfect for any club out here. Anyone would take him,” Cole told the Daily Mail.
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Chelsea are sitting at the top of the Premier League table and four points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur with five games to go in the title race.