Chelsea will allow central defender Gary Cahill to leave the club in January on loan, reports the Telegraph.

Usually, Chelsea extends contracts with players before sending them out, but is ready to make an exception for his captain as a sign of gratitude for his achievements at Stamford Bridge.

Given that the 32-year-old defender’s agreement with the London club expires at the end of the current season, he will leave Chelsea as a free agent in the coming summer.

Cahill moved to Chelsea from Bolton in January 2012 for 7.5 million pounds. Since then, he has played 288 matches for the Blue, twice became the champion of the Premier League, and also won the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League once.