Chelsea to offer Ashley Cole £27m new deal

05 June 2009 09:43
The Sun reports that Chelsea are ready to make the England international the world's highest-paid left-back to fend off interest from Barcelona. Carlo Ancelotti is said to be eager to keep the 28-year-old at Stamford Bridge and will offer the former Arsenal defender £130,000-a-week wages to make it worth his while. Barcelona are understood to be keeping tabs on developments at Chelsea and are prepared to offer £20m for Cole. Cole has two years left on his contract and Chelsea are confident he will stay in west London. A Chelsea club source said: 'One of the first things Mr Ancelotti said when arriving at the club was not to allow Ashley to leave. 'He is aware that Barcelona rate him extremely highly and Guardiola sees the left-back position as the team's only weak link. 'We're extremely hopeful that Ashley will stay at Chelsea.' Michael Ballack earlier this week signed a new one-year deal to stay at Chelsea. Ballack, Frank Lampard and John Terry are all said to earn £130,000 a week.

Source: Telegraph