Joe Cole

Cole’s contract saga has been the source of much speculation over the last couple of months, with the 28-year-old now due to leave on a free transfer.

The former West Ham man has spent the last seven years at Stamford Bridge, but has found himself struggling for first-team football following a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury.

Cole suffered cruciate knee ligament damage in January 2009 and although he helped the Blues to the 2009/10 title, the form of Florent Malouda saw him spend a large chunk of the season on the bench.

Chelsea were keen to keep the England international but a new deal could not be agreed, with Premier League clubs now queing up for his signature.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who worked with Cole at West Ham, has already expressed an interest while Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked.

The player himself (16/1 to be England’s top World Cup scorer) insists the news will not distract his attentions away from the task in hand for his country at the World Cup.

Cole insisted: “My future will sort itself out. It won’t distract me. It has been going on for a while and it is a story to be told at another time.

“I want to try and do my best for England over the next few weeks.”

Meanwhile, Ballack will also bring to an end his spell with Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of June.

The Germany captain, who will miss the World Cup through injury, had been optimistic of signing a new deal with the Premier League champions.

Ballack, who said Chelsea were his “first option” was seeking a two-year deal and Chelsea are understood to have been offering a 12-month contract.

His agent, Michael Becker, says the midfielder would have been willing to take a pay cut and admitted he was “completely surprised” by the news.

Belletti leaves Stamford Bridge after three years at the club and will also be available on a free transfer this summer.

The Brazilian, who was omitted from his country’s World Cup squad, is now 33 and has not been offered a new contract with the west London outfit.

Having joined Chelsea from Barcelona, there are early suggestions that the defender could head back to Spain during the close season.

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Cesc Fabregas

The news will come as a devastating blow to the Frenchman’s hopes of building a title-winning team around the influential Spain midfielder.

Fabregas, who has been undergoing treatment in Spain on the leg injury which ended his campaign, has made no secret of his desire to re-join the club he left in 2003 when aged just 16 and said recently he wanted his future resolved before the World Cup starts on June 11 (Spain – World Cup 2010 Specials).

Reports have suggested he has contacted the Emirates boss to inform him that he wants to quit the Gunners.

Fabregas’ bombshell comes on the same day vice president Rafael Yuste announced Barca were also in talks to sign highly-rated Valencia striker David Villa in an attempt to win back the Champions League trophy next season (4/1 Villa – Top La Liga Goalscorer World Cup 2010).

He told the Catalonian radio station Ona FM: “Negotiations are progressing well, especially in the case of Villa.”

Yuste suggested the Catalan giants had not made the progress they would have liked on the capture of Fabregas, but that they were sure he wanted to move back to the Nou Camp.

He added: “The situation with Cesc is different because even if you have the will of the player it is very important to talk to his club and, if you can, find an agreement. But what makes it easier is that both players want to come to Barca.”

Fabregas has only won one major trophy since arriving in north London – the FA Cup in 2005 – and the chance to play alongside Spain team-mates such as Andres Iniesta and Xavi is understood to be behind his reason for wanting to leave (21/10 Spain – Top European Team).

Reacting to Fabregas’ initial comment about wanting to return, outgoing Barca president Joan Laporta said: “It is remarkable that the player has said that.

“If the technical secretary [Txiki Begiristain] believes we must make an effort, we will do and will talk to Arsenal.”

The speculation intensified on Monday when Dimitri Selcuk, the agent of current Barca midfield enforcer Yaya Toure, revealed his client could be used as a makeweight in the deal to take Fabregas back to Spain.

He said: “There is a one in a thousand chance that Toure will be involved in the move for Cesc with Arsenal.”

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