Manchester United have ruled out a swoop for Joe Cole, currently on World Cup duty with England, which could pave the way for north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to make a move (Arsenal 6/1 to win the Premier League 2010/2011).

Cole will be a free-agent as of July 1 when his contract with Chelsea comes to an end and the Stamford Bridge side have already confirmed Cole will move on.

A number of clubs are said to be keen on the former West Ham playmaker and reports earlier this week suggested the Old Trafford side were the most likely candidates to secure a deal.

However, the Guardian newspaper have now claimed a source has told them United have no interest in the 28-year-old, which would allow Arsenal and Spurs to move in.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp confirmed he was keen to sign Cole after it became clear he had no future with Chelsea but Redknapp has since stated he has been unable to speak to Cole and believed he had agreed terms elsewhere.

This would now appear not to be the case as the midfielder is focussing on his international commitments and Redknapp will move quickly as soon as the World Cup is over to try and seal a deal.

However, Arsenal have also been mooted as potential suitors for Cole and a battle for the player’s signature could erupt between the two north London rivals.

Redknapp has worked with Cole before when manager to West Ham and the current Spurs boss was the manager who gave Cole his debut in the Premier League.

Spurs also have Champions League football to offer for the first time in their history, while Cole will already know the likes of Aaaron Lennon, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch, amongst others at White Hart Lane, having played alongside the Spurs men in the England squad (Spurs 50/1 to win the Premier League).

Arsenal face the very real prospect of losing captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona this summer and if the Spaniard does decide to leave they will be eager to find a suitable replacement.

Although Cole and Fabregas are not particularly similar in playing-style the England international could well fit in to the Arsenal line-up and boss Arsene Wenger has already confirmed he is keen to bring in some new faces over the summer to boost the Gunners chances of securing some silverware next season.

It appears Cole will not decide upon anything until after the World Cup, but as soon as England’s tournament is over he will probably have a number of options to consider with current reports suggesting Spurs and Arsenal are leading the chase for his signature.

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