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http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/169 ... r-Joe-Cole

Manchester City have offered to make Joe Cole the Premier League’s best-paid player with a four-year contract worth nearly £40 million.


Joe Cole will become a free agent this summer after failing to agree a new deal at Chelsea and Manchester City have jumped to the top of the queue of clubs chasing him by tabling a remarkable £180,000-a-week deal.

Because they would sign Cole for nothing, City are understood to be prepared to build his real transfer

market value of about £10m into his wages, which would work out at more than £9m a year.

That will blow away interest from their neighbours Manchester United, whom they meet today at Eastlands in the most important Manchester derby for 42 years.

City are confident of securing fourth place and qualification for the Champions League next season and that could be the clincher for Cole, who has failed to command a regular place at Chelsea since returning from injury.

Cole, 28, has yet to make up his mind, but City’s offer is another statement of their intent to buy big again this summer ready for a Premier League title push and their first Champions League venture – providing they do not blow it in their final five games.

City boss Roberto Mancini made it clear yesterday he wants to establish the club at the top of the European game. And he believes United and the other Premier League big guns are running scared of their financial muscle.

“A lot of players could come here next season if we play in the Champions League,” he said. “I think Manchester City can be a very important team in the future.

“We could become a bigger threat than Chelsea. We work for this because we want to be like them or, if possible, even better. I would like to think we can become one of Europe’s top clubs next season.”

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted today’s derby is the most significant of his 23 years in charge of United, then shuddered at the financial resources neighbours City have at their disposal thanks to oil-rich Abu Dhabi owner Sheikh Mansour.

“They have such an amazing amount of buying power,” he said. “They can go and buy 10 players, another team. If they qualify for the Champions League, you can rest assured they will buy players.

“I don’t think we will be in competition with City for players because they will be after different types of players.

“Nobody knows what their plans are but the point is they have a buying power that is different from all the other clubs.”

While City have set their sights on signing Cole, United’s veteran midfielder Paul Scholes has signed a one-year extension to his contract at Old Trafford.

gotta be bollocks

I'm all for spending the money to get the real superstars (by that I mean the Torres/Fabregas's who would raise our profile in world football) in but 180 grand a week for Joe cole is ridiculous

Not worth silly wages in reality especially because he been out for so long we don't know if he still has it. Is seriously doubt the club will take such a huge gamble on gamble on him especially considering Chelsea won't.

A 4 year deal for a 28 year old?

King Kev wrote:A 4 year deal for a 28 year old?

well we won't give one to Shaun so hmmm.... probably not

Yes I´m sure we could get him for less than half those wages, if we wanted him.

I would defo have Joe Cole as he has something different to what we currently have but I would not be paying that much. You pay them wages to Torres/Rooneys.

someone's agent wants a new ferrari.

laughable.

Never mind the figures, simple question is Joe Cole an improvement on what we have?the answer is yes imo so im all for it. Would you rather pay 20m for someone with less talent and give them 90k a week?it works out the same!

Get him in as he strengthens us and weakens a rival. Who cares what he costs or if its a 4 year contract, money is no object so use the advantage we have.

Cole is a better player than SWP hence why I would give him a contract, and SWP still has 2 plus years to run on his and has done little to merit a new one the way he's played this season, simples.

Goaters 103 wrote:Get him in as he strengthens us and weakens a rival. Who cares what he costs or if its a 4 year contract, money is no object so use the advantage we have.

Cole is a better player than SWP hence why I would give him a contract, and SWP still has 2 plus years to run on his and has done little to merit a new one the way he's played this season, simples.

Ya know I read this time and time again this money no object shit but our owner ain't a fucking cash horse that will just pump money in and expect nothing back in the future. Eventually we will have to make a profit. We can't afford to put every player we have on absurd wages. We did it at first to get players to join us as we were outside top 4 and really had no other way of getting them here but once we are top 4 we can still blow others away but we don't need to do silly wages anymore too if they don't deserve it.

No fucking thanks.

Our bulldog or our most promising winger takes a seat for this cockney twat?????

Unfuckinglikely.

That'a the end of Stevie then.

We would be mad to not get joe Cole if he is available. He is quality and we need players just like that if we are to improve.

Yes please, but not on those wages. £100k/wk would be more than enough.

40m...... now.... I do rate Joe Cole but 40m? LOL! Gotta be rubbish!

Money is no object to us but you start to create problems paying that sort of money to someone like Cole. It's most likely complete rubbish but I'd be alarmed if we were in for him on those sort of terms.