Joe Cole still has a future at Chelsea, insists Ray Wilkins

• zocoss

  5 Mar 10, 11:12

  EXCLUSIVE: Joe Cole frozen out by Roman Abramovich - Chelsea owner stunned by winger's wage demands

   

   

  At loggerheads: Abramovich is stunned by Cole's hardline stance

   

   

  Joe Cole fears a complete breakdown in his relationship with Roman Abramovich will result in the midfielder leaving Chelsea at the end of the season.

  Sources at Stamford Bridge claim Cole and his representatives infuriated the Russian with their hardline stance in contract negotiations which saw the player threaten to leave if Abramovich did not meet the 28-year-old’s wage demands.

  The tactic appears to have backfired, not least because the Chelsea owner does not consider Cole to be worth his salary demands which are in excess of £100,000 a week — especially as he has failed to regularly start in Carlo Ancelotti’s side since returning in September from a nine-month spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

  
  

  Cole has no desire to leave Stamford Bridge after seven largely successful years at the club. But the negotiations stalled over the England winger’s demands and there seems little chance of them being revived.

  
  

  Cole, who is currently on £80,000 a week, is sure to attract a long list of suitors if he does become available as a free agent in the summer.

  
  

  Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is a confirmed admirer, having worked with the young Cole when he was at West Ham, while there could also be interest from Manchester United, Liverpool and possibly even Manchester City.

   

  

  You must be joking, Joe: Cole's wage demands could bring a swift end to his time at Chelsea

   

• Rock^Star

  5 Mar 10, 11:24

  He shd at least prove himself on the pitch again after such a lengthy lay off.

• dragg

  5 Mar 10, 11:42

  sell him to a smaller club.

   

• russiabear

  5 Mar 10, 13:42

  free agent next summer = he can call the shots.

• Poignant

  5 Mar 10, 14:30

  liverpool should go for this fellow.

  he's free, he's english.

• CKeer

  5 Mar 10, 16:12

  I'll see him at Old Trafford.

• zocoss

  5 Mar 10, 16:12

  He is probably the most creative winger England has... And he also has a better end product than Lennon. Lennon can run, dribble but end product till left a lot to be desired. But at least he is better than Swp lah... lol
• CKeer

  5 Mar 10, 16:14

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  He is probably the most creative winger England has… And he also has a better end product than Lennon. Lennon can run, dribble but end product till left a lot to be desired. But at least he is better than Swp lah… lol

  You forgot to add in Walcott who has not improve since he left Southampton.

• zocoss

  5 Mar 10, 16:21

  I would say quite worth it if other clubs take him even on a $120k per week salary cos they won't need to pay a transfer fee on him and even at $120k, his one year also around $6m only... Joe Cole beside being a good creative winger, he is also English so probably have a transfer fee of about $12m to $15m. He would actually be free for about 2 and a half yrs... lol. And all these paid over a longer period and not at one go.
• zocoss

  6 Mar 10, 10:51

   

  Joe Cole still has a future at Chelsea, insists Ray Wilkins

  • Dip in form just temporary, says assistant manager
  • Belletti, Ballack, Carvalho all out for Stoke match

  

  Joe Cole has struggled for form since coming back from a knee injury in September. 

   

   

  Chelsea remain committed to extending Joe Cole's stay at the club beyond the expiration of his current deal next summer, though the negotiations over a new contract remain at an impasse.

  Talks between club and player have stalled over the midfielder's wage demands as he seeks to raise his salary from £80,000-a-week and into the bracket of higher earners at Stamford Bridge. Cole's inability to retain a regular place in Carlo Ancelotti's starting line-up has undermined his negotiating position, with the England coach Fabio Capello having admitted last week that he did not appear to be "the same player" since returning from serious knee ligament damage in September.

  The 28-year-old is expected to feature in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke City, with Chelsea's assistant manager Ray Wilkins insistent that Cole has just suffered a temporary dip in form and could even yet force his way back into Capello's plans ahead of the World Cup finals. "We are desperate to keep Joe," said Wilkins. "I know the club are and we as a management group feel the same. He is a very valuable asset to us. Joe himself is upbeat about his future here. He loves Chelsea and wants to stay. It is a contractual situation that he and the club, I am sure, will sort out. We sincerely hope he will be here next season.

  "I would not have thought his form has been affected by the contract situation. I just think he has had a long lay-off, something like 10 months, and it is never easy to come back. Your form does drop, and Joe has just had that dip. He has got to get a little bit more consistency back and then there will not be a problem with him. But, as Fabio said, he has not been too impressed with Joe's form over the last couple of months. That's why he wasn't involved against Egypt but, if he performs to the ability we know Joe has, then Fabio will take him."

   

   

• dragg

  6 Mar 10, 15:00

  Originally posted by zocoss:

  He is probably the most creative winger England has… And he also has a better end product than Lennon. Lennon can run, dribble but end product till left a lot to be desired. But at least he is better than Swp lah… lol

  i fully agree with you.

  lennon is like a 无头��.

  swp is hopeless.

  walcott is another one. 

  all very pacy.... but thats all.