Chelsea made a pretty big u-turn on Tuesday by giving left back Ashley Cole a new deal worth a reported £200,000 a week making the England international the highest paid defender in the world.
News of Cole’s new deal may be surprising following several months of the Chelsea man being linked with a free transfer to Premier League rivals Manchester United, Paris St Germain and Real Madrid when his previous deal was set to conclude at the end of the season.
Cole moved to Stamford Bridge from Arsenal in 2006 and has since won the Premier League, 4 FA Cups, the League Cup and the Champions League. Cole’s new deal will see him stay with the West Londoners until at least 2014, “I am pleased I will be starting my eighth season at Chelsea.
“I wanted to stay at Chelsea because we are always fighting and challenging for trophies.
“That desire and the will to want to win things have not gone.”
Now Cole has earned a new deal Frank Lampard will be hoping for the same treatment from the Chelsea board with his current deal set to finish at the end of the current season.
Lampard, 2 years Cole’s senior at 34, is less likely to be offered a new contract as Chelsea seek to freshen up the squad with younger players.
Sam Jewell