Gooners decide – Good money or bad Ashley!

The game of chess has begun in the football season. Chelsea have made it clear that they are not paying anything over what they have already offered (16m) for Ashley Cole. Now it is Arsenal’s move. Now they are pushed to a corner. They have only two options – one that benefits Chelsea and the other one that deprives Arsenal.

Option 1 – Sell Ashley Cole to Chelsea at their price. This will strengthen the already strong Chelsea team. With Ashley in, position-to-position, Chelsea could easily be the best team in Europe. With Mourinho, planning to use 4-4-2 more frequently this season, a player like Ashley Cole who pushes forward could be a big hit. And Also, Arsenal can get some useful cash that they can spend on.

Option 2 – Keep Ashley Cole. Man, wouldn’t he be crying. He already is like a baby deprived of his toy. He may be very depressed and may spend most portion of the season in the bench. Chelsea would get some other world class left-back in a week. And end of season, Ashley Cole would go out as a free player. Even if they wish to sell him in Jan 2007, he would hardly get 5m, being most probably cup-tied and having to play one-half of the season and becoming a free player in May 2007.

The smartest thing for Arsene Wenger to do is to admit that he has been once again beaten by Mourinho’s mind games and sell Ashley for Chelsea’s price.

Some people misunderstand that the Ashley Cole situation is similar to that of Gallas. Absolutely not. Gallas does not say he hates the club, he doesnt say he is surrounded by malicious people in the club or Chelsea has fed him to the sharks. Come on, he won back-to-back league titles. He couldnt have done this anywhere else except Barcam who are/were not interested in him. All that he wants him is a new challenge and unfortunately, the contract he signed is in his way, not the club. Leave alone the fact that there are no takers for him, I dont see Chelsea refusing to leave him, when someone pays the release clause fee.

By all probabilities, I expect to see Ashley Cole in a Chelsea shirt in a week.