John Terry is believed to have approached Roman Abramovich, asking the Chelsea owner for permission to have talks with Man City.

Club insiders claim that Terry was asked by the club board last week to hand in a transfer request before they let him speak to anyone from Eastlands, but that does not seem to be the case anymore.

Abramovich wants to hold on to his club captain, but with Chelsea leaving for a pre-season tour of the US later this week, a deadline has been set for a decision, one that may see Terry move north.

City are reportedly set to table a £50m offer for the England defender, with Terry said to be paid £280,000 in weekly wages, as well as a £5m signing-on fee.

Any talks with Terry will hinge on City boss Mark Hughes who is due to fly back from City's pre-season boot camp in Germany in an attempt to convince the Blues skipper that Eastlands is the place to be in the upcoming season.