will Cole be in Chelsea blue by the end of the week?

[MannyJello]

t-minus 2 days and counting...will we end up with Ashley Cole or not? lots of variables, including new arrivals, Huth's situation, Bridge's performance, the Gallas fiasco...but at the end of the day, do you think we agree to a deal with Arsenal or not?

[g3.7]

yes, we will. I don't have much doubt about it really.

[Gem]

No.

[BlueBeard]

I selected the 'No' option, though more through hope than expectation

[loz]

I think we will - we have been paying over the odds for players for three years now and I don't think that is going to suddenly end.

He has been our number one target all summer and has been a target for some time. Just now we are operating with one left back and a player who will probably never play for us again.

Therefore we have a space in the squad, a target that Jose is very keen on, and an owner to whom a couple of extra million is the equivalent to one of us paying 20p for a 16p mix!

[bjd]

he played for Le Arse reserves last night, now to me that seems a strange thing to be doing if you are about to make a big money move...

[TerryIsALegend]

nope, he will move for free and the end of next season (i think he can) ?

[german-blue]

Hope not. But I think Chelsea will sign him. :?

[nick]

I thought Jose said that he wanted to have two left backs?

Wouldn't it make more sense to have Bridgey and then get a backup eg not Cashley...

Or is his master plan to get Cashley and force bridgey into requesting a transfer thus negating a pay off and then buying a 2nd left back or promoting someone from the Reserves?

[TomP]

I don't want it to happen, but I think it will.

At the end of the day, Chelsea, Arsenal and Ashley Cole all want the transfer to happen - so it is just a matter of ironing out the details.

I am just hoping that Gallas isn't going in the other direction.

[Gem]

People really think a deal can be thrashed out in, what is now just a little under 48 hours? I know, I know, it only takes 2 seconds to sign on the dotted line, but a fee has to be agreed, medical, personal terms.... Aren't the England lads on International training tomorrow? Or at least Thursday?

[Paul Phoenix]

You'll be amezed to see what can be done in 48 hours.

But then again, what are Chelsea and Arsenal waiting for? Arsenal are poor anyway, so they should just be happy to see someone willing to pay ?16 million for a Gooner.

[Sofa Manager]

I wantED it to happen and honestly don't think it will.

[Butch]

Who'll blink first?

If you had asked me anytime before now, I would have said "yes". Now? It is unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Huth has agreed a move to Boro, so he'll be going. I believe that Boulharouz was brought in to provide back up for the two CB positions (i.e. a replacement for Huth). I would be surprised (and a little disappointed) if we started the season with 1 left back, and back-ups that are not really up-to-scratch because they aren't left backs, i.e. Ferreira and Boulharouz.

Cole has travelled to link up with the England squad now, but if Chelsea blink first, or Arsenal for that matter, he will be whisked back to sign on the dotted line - something we've seen before at Chelsea in recent times. Even if we may not all like him, I think we'd agree that at least he'd make our left side of defense a well-covered position, unlike it is now. I don't feel entirely comfortable going into the season like this.

Cheers,

Butch

[Taipan]

Who'll blink first is right.

One of Star's updates on the situation was:

... however there is no doubt Arsenal agreed to sell Cole to us on Friday at the 18.5 ish million...

...Cole is trying to get a pay off from Arsenal ( apparantely he is 100% entitled to it ) and they are trying to get that sum now ON TOP of the 18.5 million from Chelsea !

If we take that as the current state of play then all parties are set for the deal, with the only sticking point being Cole's additional payout. Chelsea, Arsenal, and Cole all have a lot to lose if the deal doesn't happen.

Personally I think we've got the least to lose. Worst case for us is that we don't sign Cole, and we start a difficult Champions League campaign with Bridge as our left back and look to sign someone in January. I will not lose any sleep over that. Del Horno out, Bridge in. We're still better off than we were last season. We also don't give one of our main rivals a huge amount of cash, and Arsenal are stuck paying a very disruptive players wages.

Arsenal stand to lose out on a world record fee for a left back. Our apparent 18.5 million offer is almost double the previous world record fee for a left back (which I think is Zambrotta's 9.5m). They would then have to continue to pay in the region of 60k-70k per week for a player who has been very disruptive for them. If he doesn't leave them this summer he'll go next, and his value will be plumeting by the week.

Cole also has a lot to lose if the deal doesn't happen. He's pretty much burned his bridges at Arsenal. Their fans despise him. He may decide to drop his demands for the additional cash settlement to make sure the deal happens.

Given all parties want the deal to happen and it will only take one of them to back down for the deal go through. I still think it will probably happen. I just hope it isn't us who blink.

[MannyJello]

Worst case for us is that we don't sign Cole, and we start a difficult Champions League campaign with Bridge as our left back and look to sign someone in January. I will not lose any sleep over that. Del Horno out, Bridge in. We're still better off than we were last season.

not so fast, my friend. last year, our main left back by mid-season was Gallas. if you are thinking worst case scenario, you have to assume Gallas either gets sold, rots in the reserves, or plays dispassionately for us. either way, i don't think we can say our depth at defense would be the same as last year if we fail to add Cole. Bridge in, Del Horno out, Gallas iffy.

[Butch]

not so fast, my friend. last year, our main left back by mid-season was Gallas.

Exactly; it is not as simple as a Bridge-Del Horno swap, which I would have been happy with as Wayne is clearly the better player for me. The MAIN problem is that we've lost our "first choice" left back in Bill and until we replace him in the left back position, it is significantly weakened.

Again, I'd be really surprised if we go into the season with Bridge as our only recognized left back...unless of course Jose and Co are confident they will have Gallas back playing for us.

Cheers,

Butch