By Football Talk.
The latest news coming out of Stamford Bridge is that Chelsea have withdrawn their contract offer to Joe Cole after giving up hope of keeping the England international, according to the Daily Star. Contract talks planned for the end of the season were cancelled, with club officials instead deciding to pull their offer from the table after Cole made it clear he was never going to sign the terms being offered by Chelsea.
Cole, 28, is now in a position where he can use the World Cup as a shop window to display his talents to the many clubs interested in his services. The playmaker is not making huge wage demands as previously reported, and his failure to commit to Chelsea is not financially driven. Instead, Cole was put-off by the one-year rolling contract that was offered and also feared he would not be a first-team regular under Carlo Ancelotti. After spending the majority of last season on the sidelines with a knee injury, Cole just wants to be playing football again and feels he wont get the opportunities under Ancelotti.
If the report is accurate, it will be a huge boost to the long-line of clubs fighting it out for his signature. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Cole this week with some suggesting he had agreed a 3-year deal. Previously Manchester United were thought to be the front-runners for his signature, while Tottenham boss Harry Redkanpp has made his interest known. Manchester City and Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid are also thought to be keen on snapping up Cole on a free transfer.
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