Weekend reports have suggested Liverpool are looking to strengthen their defence with a summer move for Ashley Cole…
Chelsea moved ominously to the Premier League summit on Saturday, thanks in no small part to Liverpool’s 5-1 thumping of previous table toppers Arsenal.
Their 3-0 victory over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge was inspired once again by the form of hat-trick hero Eden Hazard.
The Blues are undefeated so far in 2014 and their last league defeat was at Stoke City some 11 games ago.
The run has also been notable for manager Jose Mourinho’s continued preference for the unheralded Cesar Azpilicueta over England international Ashley Cole at left-back.
Cole has been widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in world football over the past decade and is out of contract at the end of the season.
The chances of him agreeing a new deal with the Londoners looks remote with regular football a prerequisite at this stage of the 33-year-old’s career.
In addition to losing his place at club level, Cole has seemingly slipped behind Everton’s Leighton Baines in the international pecking order ahead of this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
Consequently a number of sides are said to be eyeing a move to reinvigorate Cole’s career. Amongst them, according to the Daily Mirror and Metro at least, are Liverpool.
The Merseysiders are known to be on the look out for new full-backs after a period of injuries and inconsistent form from the club’s current incumbents.
Add in the fact that current left-back Aly Cissokho is only on loan and first-choice right-back Glen Johnson is yet to agree a new contract of his own, and the rumours surrounding Cole suddenly don’t seem so far fetched.
Kop boss Brendan Rodgers also knows the player well from his four-year spell coaching at Chelsea between 2004-08.
Amongst a plethora of other options, Cole reportedly has a lucrative offer on the table from MLS side New York Red Bulls but the player is thought to be keen to prolong his career in England for the time being.
In his decorated career to date, Cole has won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups, one League Cup, one Europa League and one Champions League.
Vital Verdict
An intriguing option certainly but not one which everyone will be immediately thrilled with. Cole is a divisive character due to his high-profile private life and a number of off-field incidents, although, in fairness, he appears to have kept a lower profile in recent years. His signing would seemingly go against the mantra of investing in players with an eye on the long-term and resale potential. Although no transfer fee would be involved, we’ve seen to our cost in the past, with Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic, that free transfers can still end up being expensive flops when you factor in signing-on fees and wages etc. The former Arsenal man has been a great player over the years and I’m sure he still has something to offer but I’d be surprised if we see him doing so in a Liverpool shirt.
Likelihood (out of 5):
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