Joe Cole Has Signed A Contract To Join Arsenal After World Cup 2010

* Deal agreed in principal before player flew out to the World Cup
* England midfielder's move will be completed if he passes full medical
* Three-year, £80,000-a-week contract laden with incentives



England midfielder Joe Cole has signed a contract to join Arsenal, Goal.com UK can reveal.

The midfielder put pen to paper on an £80,000-a-week, three-year deal before flying out to South Africa with England’s World Cup squad.

The sensational free transfer has been kept under wraps by both parties because the agreement is dependent on Cole being able to prove his fitness when he returns from the World Cup.


Goal.com UK understands that Cole was put through his paces in a basic medical on Monday of last week, which was enough to convince manager Arsene Wenger to tie him to a deal that wards off other clubs.

But, in order to insure themselves from the England midfielder suffering a serious injury on World Cup duty, Arsenal insisted on inserting a clause that means Cole must pass a more stringent, full medical when he returns from South Africa for the deal to be officially completed.

The move has ended Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool's hopes of signing one of the most coveted free agents on the market this summer.

Despite mixed messages from Harry Redknapp over the past week about making a move for Cole, it is understood that the player had talks with Spurs but did not receive an offer.

Wenger is a huge admirer of Cole’s technical skills and ability to play in any of the three advanced midfield positions in his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

The Arsenal manager's only concerns were Cole's wage demands and long-term fitness. The 28-year-old missed most of 2009 with knee ligament damage and has not completed a full competitive 90 minutes since February.


"I like Joe Cole - whenever he played against us he did a lot of damage"
Although Cole will join second-tier earners Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and William Gallas - in the unlikely event the Frenchman stays - as one of the best-paid players at Emirates Stadium, he will still be a long way short of captain Cesc Fabregas, who is on £110,000-a-week.

Arsenal made it clear in contract talks with Cole’s camp last week that they were unwilling to shatter their salary structure for a player with a checkered recent fitness record.

But the deal will include performance-related bonuses triggered by getting in the top four, winning the Premier League or the Champions League.

Ironically, part of the reason Chelsea let the midfielder go was because they would not bow to Cole’s demands for a 50 percent hike on the £80,000-a-week he was earning at Stamford Bridge. The Premier League champions made one offer midway through the season which was rejected, and there has been no further offer made.

Cole's signing is viewed by Arsenal in a similar way to the deal that brought Sol Campbell from Tottenham in 2001.

The club are willing to sanction such high-level wages because the deal does not involve a transfer fee and there is hope that Cole’s vast international experience and seven years spent with serial winners Chelsea will rub off on a dressing room that has not won a trophy in five years.

It is also a populist move because it increases the English contingent in a squad that has only one home-grown regular first-teamer in Theo Walcott.

e no move me jare! joe cole no be wetin we need

but its an added advantage

We need experienced players in that young squad.
Joe Cole has it and he style of play fits into Arsenal's.
To me, i think is a good buy.

U AV A POINT ON EXPERIENCE SHA

source please.
i just spoke to someone in Joe Cole's management and she was unable to confirm it.
i don't doubt the possibility of the story but if his management can't confirm it, e be as e get.

mbulela:

source please.
i just spoke to someone in Joe Cole's management and she was unable to confirm it.
i don't doubt the possibility of the story but if his management can't confirm it, e be as e get.

.

www.goal.com (one of the headlines)

oisehumen:

.

www.goal.com (one of the headlines)

okay.
i have seen it there now.
i still have my doubts as it does not make much sense.
Arsenal have lots of central attacking midfielders,Joe cole will not be guaranteed a starting place (the very problem he had in Chelsea)
Arsene needs to strengthen other areas not messing with what ain't broken/
i see he also put a bit in for Mark Shwarzer

I believe the experience and quality is what Arsenal needs right now. IMHO, it's a good deal,except for his injury concerns. If he manages to stay fit long enough, then i guess it may just be good season for the gunners. Extremely Arsenal.

We need a BIG and good central defender, Gallas is almost out.
I thought Wenger was interested in Buffon . What happened now?

yes j.cole is ok in the squad

the news is not confirmed yet.
the only thing that will make the transfer work here is that he is a free agent and wenger likes free things.
if i have my way, i will not allow joe cole to go to arsenal.
anyways, most of the players who go to arsenal do not last as they see the club as a passage to their destination.
the stingy professor will never buy a player in his life. chamakh - free, joe cole - free, campbell - free, i know he is still looking for goalkeeper that is also free and that will end the story at the end of the day, he will look forward to winning trophy.

chidichris:

the news is not confirmed yet.
the only thing that will make the transfer work here is that he is a free agent and wenger likes free things.
if i have my way, i will not allow joe cole to go to arsenal.
anyways, most of the players who go to arsenal do not last as they see the club as a passage to their destination.
the stingy professor will never buy a player in his life. chamakh - free, joe cole - free, campbell - free, i know he is still looking for goalkeeper that is also free and that will end the story at the end of the day, he will look forward to winning trophy.

You write plenty gibberish
That's because you are misinformed
At the time Campbell joined Arsenal from Spurs, he earned upwards of 90k/week
At that time, I am definite, there was no Chelsea player on that kind of salary.
I don't blame peeps like you though, for you the EPL and football generally started in 2005,
There are a few things pre-2005 that you know about

SOURCE PLEASE!!!

UNTIL THE NEWS IS CONFIRMED, I WOULDN'T BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY THAT ARSENAL CAN AFFORD JOE COLE'S WAGES. THE GUY WANTED 120,000 POUNDS A WEEK . WAAAAAAAAAY TOO MUCH FOR A GUY WHO IS ALWAYS INJURED MAJORITY OF THE SEASON.

Don't think its a done deal. Its just rumour. Pls porter confirm before posting