zocoss

9 Jun 10, 09:20

OVER AT THE BRIDGE ... Joe Cole

JOE COLE and Michael Ballack were last night released by Chelsea. England World Cup star Cole turned down Blues' offer of £90,000 a week because he wanted parity with the club's top stars, who are paid up to £150,000 a week.

Negotiations collapsed and Chelsea have finally withdrawn their offer, so Cole, 28, can go on July 1.

German midfielder Ballack, 33, is also leaving the Double winners.

He had wanted a one-year extension to his existing deal but once again Chelsea refused to meet his demands as the club attempt to impose a strict new pay code.

SunSport revealed Cole held a meeting with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger before flying to South Africa for the World Cup.

Tottenham chief Harry Redknapp - who gave Cole his big chance at West Ham - has also publicly stated his desire to sign the midfielder.

Arsenal and Spurs are both keen on signing him, along with Manchester United, City and managerless Liverpool. He has turned down a return to West Ham.

While Cole and Ballack will attract much interest, there is an uncertain future ahead for other released players.

Leeds goalkeeper Casper Ankergren is one of those in exalted company.

'I am not the gambling type but this is a gamble,' he says.

It's not the first time he has rubbed shoulders with the game's finest but there is a darker spectre to this - what if I don't find a club?

Like Cole, Petrov and Fabio Aurelio, Ankergren is out of contract but he should find a club after helping guide Leeds back into the Championship and playing in their best FA Cup run for years.

Yet he can't help showing concern. On average, more than 500 players are released annually.

'It's difficult,' he says. 'On one hand it is a big concern, on the other it is exciting.'

The 6ft 3in Dane, 30, lives with his partner, Carina, and their four-year-old daughter, Victoria, in Headingley, Leeds.

'I am reasonably secure financially but that doesn't last for ever,' he said.

'I respect (Leeds manager) Simon Grayson a lot but I want to prove he was wrong to let me go.'

While Cole's main challenge will be to convince Arsenal to pay him £100,000 a week, it is at the coal faces of League One and Two where reality bites hardest.

Morecambe have released longest-serving player Wayne Curtis at 30, and Tranmere's Chris Shuker is facing a halving of his £1,500-a-week wages to extend his career elsewhere at 28.

The players' union are relied on for support. Already they have listed more than 400 released players on their website, advertising their availability.

As chief executive Gordon Taylor says: 'It is a very insecure career.'

Fenixx

9 Jun 10, 09:50

That Cole is available on a free is extremely tempting. But at the wages he is demanding, naaaaaaah. not worth. besides, how many more good years has he left, not considering the time he may be out injured....?

zocoss

9 Jun 10, 09:53

OUT OF CONTRACT ... Joe Cole

HARRY REDKNAPP has completed a dramatic U-turn by joining the race for Joe Cole.

Tottenham boss Redknapp has been an admirer of Cole's since working with the midfielder at West Ham.

Last week he declared Spurs were out of the running as Manchester United and Arsenal are chasing the Chelsea ace.

But Redknapp now admits he will do all he can to tempt Cole, 28, to White Hart Lane when his contract expires later this summer.

He said: "Yes, I am prepared to declare my interest in Joe Cole.

"Why not? He is a great player, his contract is up and he is on a free transfer.

"When he returns from the World Cup with England I would love to talk to him about coming to Spurs."

Fenixx

9 Jun 10, 10:09

Redknapp may be interested. He'll speak to the Chairman Daniel Levy who will talk to Cole. Levy's the one whol still ultimately decides at the business end whether there will be a deal. In any case, these are all just pure speculation as the transfer rumour mills are craziest in the close season. Still think Cole's wage demands are prohibitive to a deal with Spurs..... Spurs has funds for a new stadium to consider.

iceFatboy

9 Jun 10, 10:14

stampede??

sure or not... I bet the agents' are cooking up stories so as to secure their next fat cheque.

zocoss

9 Jun 10, 10:18

Cole will be a good buy for any club who manage the get him on $100k or even $120k per week cos he would be a free transfer... Just imagine, if Gerrard who is older can cost $20 to $25 million before a $100k weekly salary to go with it, Cole could easily be worth $15m in transfer fees alone... So even if any of the top sides pay him $100k per week, it still only works out to $5.2 million a season. All this without a transfer fee would be very attractive for a player of Cole's experienced and calibre...

I am not surprise that even Wenger, a usual scrooge when it comes to players salaries, is even so interested on him... Cos giving him a 3 yrs contract is like not having to pay a single cent on his salary... and an added bonus, clubs don't need to pay out a lump sum, they can drag it out weekly for 3 to 4 yrs depending on his contract...

Cole is certainly a good players and probably the only few English players with creativity... And the only reason Chelsea celebrated winning the title was a lot due to that one single moment of it... an intelligent back heel that caught everyone by surprise and gave them the advantage and eventually the match against United...

zocoss

9 Jun 10, 11:28

Out-of-contract Chelsea star Michael Ballack emerges as shock target for new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho

Real deal: Jose Mourinho, who signed Michael Ballack on a free for Chelsea, is lining up another move for the out-of-contract German captain

Jose Mourinho is contemplating a shock move to take Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack to Real Madrid.

The Germany captain, out of the World Cup after being injured in the FA Cup final, is considering several lucrative offers from the Middle East as he braces himself for the end of his Chelsea career.

Though contact has yet to be made with Ballack or his advisers, Mourinho believes the 33-year old can make an impact at the Bernabeu along with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.

Uncertain future: Ruled out of the World Cup through injury, Ballack is yet to decide where his future lies

Though Dubai teams such as Al Wasl and Al Shabab could tempt him with more lucrative personal terms, Ballack has always made it clear he wants to continue playing at the highest level for as long as he can.

reyes

9 Jun 10, 12:08

100k a week is abit too high. considering fabregas much younger and already a supstar earnabout the same.

i think RVP is getting somewhere 70-80k/week nia.

joe cole better ply his trade with spurs which i think will be a bankrupt club in no time. hehe

youyayu

9 Jun 10, 12:21

150k? u think that stingy old man at north london will offer this kind of price meh!

Poignant

9 Jun 10, 16:47

nowadays wages is going crazy.

Y_Shun

10 Jun 10, 01:24

Its official already, but I am quite sad on how Chelsea dealt with it leh...

Apparently Ballack doesn't mind taking a pay cut to stay with Chelsea but Chelsea did not even had any room for negotiations with him. Quite sad for hm :(

And Joe Cole probably going for a fatter paycheck... I am thinking will they fuel some creative playmaker transfer into Chelsea??

Who will replace the 10 and 13 numbers for Chelsea???

Y_Shun

10 Jun 10, 01:27

knn.

I think Deco will be nxt to leave leh.

Maybe paulo feirra also

Rooney9

10 Jun 10, 01:31

Hope Joe Cole joins Arsenal and Ballack returns to Germany.

zocoss

10 Jun 10, 12:52

BALLACK SHOCKED BY CHELSEA EXIT

Michael Ballack's agent has revealed the midfielder's surprise at being released by Chelsea. The English champions confirmed on Wednesday that Ballack, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti would be leaving the club when their contracts expire at the end of the month.

It was thought Chelsea had made the decision on Ballack having failed to agree terms on a new deal. But his agent, Michael Becker, claimed there had been no recent contact with the club so the news came as a shock to the 33-year-old.

Becker added that Ballack would have been willing to take a pay cut to stay with Chelsea and that he would have accepted a one-year deal with an option for a second year based on appearances.

"He was completely surprised," Becker told German broadcaster RTL. "He has not spoken to Chelsea for three months."

However, Germany coach Joachim Low revealed there are already several offers for Ballack, who is currently on holiday in Miami after being ruled out of the World Cup through injury.

Ballack met up with the Germany squad as they made their World Cup preparations in Italy and Low believes the former Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich midfielder is capable of delivering the goods at another big European club.

"I am certain that Ballack will play two or three more years at the top level so he will certainly not be thinking of ending his career," he said.

"He has lots of opportunities, and he told me this in Sicily. He even has some concrete offers from different clubs in different leagues.

"I think when you see what condition he was in recent months for Chelsea then it is clear he will play at the highest level for two to three more years."

Ballack has been at Stamford Bridge since 2006, but the London club were unwilling to offer the German the two-year contract he was reportedly seeking.

"It's unfortunate we couldn't come together, but I have to put it behind me," Ballack said in an interview with The Times.

"I've known for a while that the negotiations had stopped and it's time to move on. I have to find a new club and carry on with my career.

"Chelsea was always my first choice as I had four great years at the club and enjoyed every minute, but it was not to be. It's still my first choice, even now, but it was not up to me. The decision was down to Roman."

Ballack insisted his career at the highest level was far from over, and the former Bayer Munich man revealed he could return to his homeland.

"To end my career like this is not an option," Ballack added. "I want to play for at least two more years at the highest level so I can play for Germany at the European Championship.

Y_Shun

10 Jun 10, 17:44

Apprantly...

Chelsea have shaved an astonishing £20 million a year off their wage bill by allowing Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti to leave as free agents and Portugal midfielder Deco to join Brazilian club Fluminense after the World Cup for a nominal fee.

Cole was on about £90,000 a week, Ballack £130,000, Belletti £65,000 and Deco £96,000.

Poignant

10 Jun 10, 18:07

too pain for chelsea to carry liao luh i guess.

that's a few good bargain buys among the free transfer

SGporkz

10 Jun 10, 20:11

this is a sick world... we slog so hard to get that little bit increment... but their wages are already sky high and still going up even faster than anyone..

ahh!

Rooney9

10 Jun 10, 20:14

what are you waiting for, ass league clubs, quickly go sign them up for free now!!!! Tampines, come on, go sign ballack quick!!!!!

JazzMyWorld

10 Jun 10, 20:53

Michael Ballack has outlived his usefulness. It's right that Abramovich lets him off for free. Ballack also has some anger management problem. FA Cup final before KP Boateng stepped on his ankle, he was tackled by some Pompey player. He then went to confront the player and shouted F*** to the referee when he went to intervene.

No regrets to Ballack leaving Chelsea.