by Ryan D. Jaeger
Fans of English midfielder
Joe Cole may have been disappointed that England coach Fabio Cappelo only chose to play him twice in the 2010 World Cup, but they'll miss him next season if he moves to Italy's
Serie A.
According to reports, Cole's contract expired with his English Premier League club Chelsea yesterday (Wednesday, June 30) and the Blues' hierarchy decided not to renew the 28-year-old's contract, making Cole a free agent.
And no doubt the midfielder, known for his attacking style, will receive plenty of offers in the coming weeks. But even before his contract expired with Chelsea, Cole was on the radar of superb Treble-winning Serie A side, AC Milan.
Although Cole, like the rest of his England teammates, returned from South Africa downbeat after the team failed to live up to expectations, at least he can look forward to a new challenge with a new team once the World Cup dust has settled.
When quizzed by the press, his sports agent David Geiss refused to comment on Cole's status, other than admitting that two Serie A clubs had shown an interest in him and that he was off on a holiday following his stint in South Africa.
AC Milan reportedly wants to sign Cole in a three-year, £9 million deal. Meanwhile, the other Serie A club supposedly interested in signing the England player is Juventus, although what deal they are prepared to strike is not known.
However, whatever the future holds for Cole, one thing is for sure which is that he was no doubt under-utilized by Cappelo in South Africa. It will be interesting to see who he ends up playing for next season.
