Chelsea expect Ashley and Joe Cole to follow John Terry with new contracts

31 August 2009 21:54
Joe Cole is continuing his rehabilitation from the knee injury that has sidelined him since January, but Ashley Cole and Terry reported for England duty at the team's Hertfordshire base on Monday ahead of the friendly against Slovenia on Saturday and the World Cup qualifier against Croatia a week on Wednesday.[LNB]Chelsea have already made it clear that they want the two Coles to commit to new long-term contracts, with Ashley having agreed a deal in principle and Joe about to open negotiations.[LNB]Terry, who was the subject of a £30million offer from Manchester City, has agreed a new contract worth around £150,000 a week that makes him Chelsea's best paid player and also the second highest earning footballer in the Premier League after Robinho. The new deal keeps Terry at Chelsea under 2014 when he will be 33. 'This reaffirms both John's and Chelsea's long-stated desire for him to be at Stamford Bridge for the rest of his playing career,' a Chelsea statement said.[LNB]Terry's new contract will be widely interpreted as a consequence of Manchester City's desire to make him their major signing of the summer. It is certainly unusual for Chelsea to enter contract negotiations with someone who had agreed a five-year deal as recently as 2007.[LNB]Terry was flattered by City's interest but insisted that his decision to stay at Chelsea was not linked to a potential new contract. He did, however, hint that Capello's reaction had been in his thoughts. A move to Manchester City would have pushed Terry's wages up towards £200,000 a week but he would have missed out on Champions League football in the lead up to the World Cup.[LNB]Ashley Cole also warned that next year's World Cup could represent the last chance for many in the current squad after three quarter-final defeats in major tournaments under Sven-Goran Eriksson and then the failure to qualify for Euro 2008.[LNB]'We've all grown up. We've started to realise that this World Cup finals could be our last tournament,' the 29 year-old said. 'I've got good young players coming up in my position, so I know there is pressure. I have to focus and make sure I do well. I think it's the same for a lot of players.[LNB]'I think the England team is quite set in the players that play too we're not chopping and changing all the time. The manager knows his team and the squad he'll take if we get there. It feels settled, and people are starting to come into their own. Wayne Rooney, for instance, is playing very well.'[LNB]Capello has also acknowledged Rooney's significance to England. 'Rooney is a really important player, he's incredible and young - he can improve a lot with more experience and confidence in himself,' he said.[LNB] 

Source: Telegraph