CONTRACT KILLING ... but Joe has vowed to
fight for his Blues life
He says he wants to stay but the club have withdrawn
their offer of a new deal and put Manchester City, Liverpool and
Tottenham on full alert.
Midfielder Cole, 28, will be available on a free
transfer in the summer but he refuses to give up on his Chelsea
career.
He said: "I've never spoken publicly about contracts
before.
"I don't think contracts should really be discussed
mid-season. I have always signed mine in the summer in the
past.
"But this time it's different. We can't seem to find
common ground and it's distracting. At the moment there is no offer
on the table, so I know where I stand. I still hope to talk in the
summer."
Cole's current deal expires on June 30 when he will be
free to quit the Blues after seven years at Stamford Bridge.
No new talks are planned between the parties at present
even though Cole is keen to stay.
Chelsea have been tightening the purse strings at the
club for some time and Cole has been on the fringes of the team
recently.
The bombshell development is at odds with boss Carlo
Ancelotti, who said recently: "He will stay - of that I am 100 per
cent certain."