Buck: Cole is going nowhere
Real Madrid target Ashley Cole is going nowhere, according to Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.
The American has rubbished claims that the media circus following Cole’s divorce from popstar wife Cheryl will see the England left-back depart for La Liga this summer.
"Ashley Cole is not for sale," Buck said in The Guardian. "That's the bottom line on that. There's no doubt that he's going to be a Chelsea player this season."
While Buck heaped praise on the full-back, who was a part of England’s disastrous World Cup campaign in South Africa, he also warned the ex-Arsenal man that the grass would be no greener in Spain.
"Ashley is a superb player. He is a delight to deal with around the football club, he gets on very well with everyone, he trains very well and he is really a model athlete.
"Obviously, he is not happy with how his private life has become the focus of everything around him and I think we'd like to work with him so that he has a bit of a lower profile.
"We don't think the problem will change if he went to somewhere else outside of the UK, so I think we want to work with him here to make his personal life more enjoyable.
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Cole,29, was subjected to racist chants in 2004 during an international friendly with Spain and did, at the time, say he would think twice before moving to a club there.
"You always want to improve your game and they have a great league in Spain. But it does put you off when you hear things like that.
"Spain is a great country. I have been there loads of times on holidays and the people I have met are so nice. Then when you get out on the football pitch it is totally different."
Cole has been at Stamford Bridge since 2006, making more 100 appearances for the Blues to date.
By Mark Booth
Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.