REDKNAPP: Joe Cole already agreed free transfer away from Chelsea.

No sooner had I posted that Joe Cole had made it into Fabio Capello's 23 man squad for the World Cup, and it could be a positive for Chelsea that he has been included, Harry Redknapp has added fuel to the fire to the constant speculation surrounding Joe Cole's future by claiming that he may have already agreed a free transfer away from Chelsea!

Harry Redknapp is quoted in The Guardian and reported on their website as saying:

"It looks to me someone's going to make a great free transfer, if he doesn't stay at Chelsea," Redknapp said. "I genuinely don't know who that is. I don't think it's going to be Tottenham. I've got a feeling, I may be wrong, that he's already agreed a deal with someone, and it's not Tottenham.

"I'm not saying if he hadn't agreed a deal with someone and he was available and didn't stay at Chelsea that we wouldn't be interested. I'm a big fan of Joe's, but the feedback we've had is that he might well have already done something."

I know paper talk is paper talk and is speculation for the most part but after reading this one you have to take his comment on Joe seriously.

We know for a fact that Joe turned down a return to West Ham last week as reported in the Daily Mail. New Owner David Sullivan stated in that article:

‘I’d love to sign Joe Cole, We’ve asked Joe Cole but Joe Cole said no. We asked him to name a price but he said he doesn’t want to come back.

So its obvious he has decided to listen to what other clubs have to say aswell as Chelsea. To me this is disturbing enough as it should never really have got that stage. You have to question why it has. If the papers are to be belived and the speculation is true, has Joe Cole priced himself out of a contract at Chelsea?.

Whatever you think of Harry Redknapp and whether you like him or not he has a reputation in England of wheeling and dealing and is one of the best. If he has a chance to sign Joe Cole and bring him to Spurs he would. He knows Joe and brought him through at West Ham as a kid and into the first team.

To me anyway this doesn't seem like a quote to unsettle Joe at all. It could be a worrying fact that is about to come true and the news that the majority of Chelsea fans do not want to have to accept.

With being a free transfer there is no fee involved to sign him. The club making an offer to Joe can therefore offer the weekly wage he reportedly wants as they haven't have to pay Chelsea anything for him. If Redknapp claims that something could already be agreed then its can only be one of the sides in Manchester who look favourites as Redknapp has stated its not Spurs.

You would think that Joe would be a shoe-in as a first team regular week-in week-out at Man City with the salary he wants as we all know money is no issue at Eastlands. United? I am not so sure, but you can only imagine if Sir Alex comes knocking you would have to take notice.

I was really positive today about Joe staying at Chelsea. Really optimistic that this contract wrangle would be sorted out and we can settle down and enjoy the World Cup and look forward to the start of next season with Joe back fully fit and raring to go again after his bit-part this season. This has all changed and I have the feeling that its only a matter of time! If it is the case and we do lose Joe. It would be one of the biggest mistakes the club has made in recent times.