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Liverpool lure Joe Cole with £20m contract
Andrew Hodgson19 Jul 2010
Liverpool have beaten off interest from Arsenal and Tottenham to capture former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole on a free transfer.
The 28-year-old England international left Stamford Bridge at the end of last season after failing to settle on a new contract with the club and has agreed personal terms on a bumper four-year deal at Anfield worth around £100,000 per week.
Cole, who will undergo a medical in the next 48 hours, could have gone to a team offering Champions League football but has chosen to join new Reds boss Roy Hodgson at Anfield even though they can only offer the Europa League this season.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti claimed at the weekend the only reason Cole had left Chelsea was down to money. Both Arsenal and Spurs refused to break their strict wage structures to keep the Londoner in the capital so he is moving north.
The capture of Cole was seen as being a key factor in proving to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who have both been linked with departures after a disappointing seventh-placed finish in Rafael Benitez's final season in charge, that Liverpool can still compete for quality signings.
Cole is the second summer arrival at Liverpool after Serbia forward Milan Jovanovic joined following the end of his contract with Standard Liege.
Cole will be seen as a direct replacement for Yossi Benayoun, who moved to Chelsea for £5.5m earlier this month, and only time will tell who got the better of that exchange.
Hodgson is still on the look-out for a new left-back with Fabio Aurelio having gone and Emiliano Insua on the verge of completing his move to Fiorentina.
After that the Liverpool boss will hope to secure commitments from Gerrard and Torres about their futures.
Hodgson insisted today he was not concerned by Javier Mascherano's failure to get back to him after he tried to contact the midfielder last week.
The Argentina captain is still on holiday after his World Cup exploits and is not due to return for pre-season training for another week.
The 26-year-old has been linked with a reunion with former Reds boss Benitez at Inter Milan but Hodgson said: “He doesn't need to make contact with me.
“I've made contact with him, telling him I'm looking forward to seeing him in training when he returns from his holiday but I did make the point in the voicemail that I didn't expect him to contact me.”
Reader views (30)
Adrian, meet Kerry. You two should get on like a house on fire.
- East, London, 20/07/2010 14:52
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In my opinion (note that, everyone) the fee involved in this "celebrated" transfer, a little matter of zilch, probably sums up the fact that the ex Blue went for the money.
Nothing wrong with that, but I suspect that Liverpool FC's expectations (and that of their loyal fans) will have been raised beyond the natural limit of what one player on astronomical money will achieve for them.
Hey, Joe, it's time to DELIVER - are you ready?
- Ted, Orkney Isles, 20/07/2010 08:24
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To Stu the Mug!
If your going to coat me off big boy, then at least enquire first on who I actually support! So you've put 2 and 2 together and made 5! What a mug!!!
Joe Cole will be well suited up there with all those other serial sicknotes! He only gone there because the mugs at Liverpool will pay the greedy boy the money he thinks he's worth...£100k a week, your having a laugh mate! He'll be injured again before you can say "Chelsea are double winners"!!!
- The Big Easy, London, SW8, 20/07/2010 07:38
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Let's hope Joe does the same for Liverpool as he has done for us, err, nothing!
Joe seemed an OK bloke, but he just didn't perform week in week out. Still perhaps moving down a division with liverpool will be just what he needs!
At least he hasn't disgraced himself and gone to play for the laughable Spuds or the West Ham United Pornographers. he might have gone to Arsenal, but couldn't speak a foreign language. No, he will be fine in the treatment room along with Shirley Torres
- Kerry, Purley, 19/07/2010 17:45
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Stu mate, you want him for West Ham, you are welcome to him, but I don't rate him as a player and there are many other quality players.
READ THE WORD 'QUALITY' and some1 who runs around like a headless chicken
my friend i have btter thinsg to do then read all yr articles, maybe yuou want to be a journalist who knows.
worry about yr own team. Football as you might know is about opinions....this is mine.
- adrian, london, 19/07/2010 17:34
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Too long, Stu boy, too bloody long.
- Charlie, Crackpot, North Yorkshire, 19/07/2010 17:27
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Big bucks for an injury prone player who is 29 in November.
- Robbie Everton, Kings Road, Liverpool, 19/07/2010 17:21
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Can't see Carly settling so far from the Capital, but no doubt with the extra dosh she might be able to raise a smile for a change.
- Charlie, Crackpot, North Yorkshire, 19/07/2010 17:13
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glad the premiership is coming back, the World Cup didn;t have this banter...
- adrian, london, 19/07/2010 17:13
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No, adrian, I said well before the World Cup that Upson should never have gone to South Africa based on his appalling "performances" last season.
A fit Craig Bellamy IS a good player, yes, but I don't see why you're bringing that up.
As for everyone having their opinion, I'm well aware of that, how condescending of you to think I need telling. I have my opinion, and you have yours.
Yours is wrong of course.
How long do these school holidays last, anyone?
- Stu, Homeless, 19/07/2010 17:13
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Stu, my mate...please everyone is entitled to what they think and say, its football banter...
We have opinions of players and clubs, Joe Cole isd greedy, but join whoever he want to, Liverpool beiong a team of sick notes. then you say BVellamy is a good player, next thing Upson is Englands Top defender.
- adrian, london, 19/07/2010 17:01
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Can't believe Joe is happy with this, even allowing for the size of the contract. He's with a club going nowhere. Should have tried to get a move to Italy, still at least he's not wasting his time with the Spuds.
- Bluetooth, London, 19/07/2010 16:40
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How amusing you are, Big Easy.
Having only won anything of recent years because of being bankrolled entirely by a Russian who has absolutely no limit to what he spends and who has hoovered up every single player of note for ages (Cole being one of those players), you have the audacity to complain when a player takes a better deal than your lot wanted to offer at a different club.
Obviously one of those Chelsea fans who's being going "all my life", aren't you?
Mug.
- Stu, Homeless, 19/07/2010 16:20
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Liverpool is club known for its injury problems, with their training regime and overrated players, so Joe you joined the right team mate...
Good luck...
Couldn't get in the Chelsea team, none of the top 4 didn't want him (except for Harry), but he goes to Liverpool, Cockney and Scousers, won't understand eachother
- adrian, london, 19/07/2010 16:14
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So Joe, it wasn't about the money mate! Just wanted to play football! So Liverpool were the only club that would pay your silly £100k a week demand! I suppose you've got to hand it to you for holding out and finding a mug club to pay you the dough! Chelsea offered you decent money, but your were just too greedy to accept! Enjoy the Champions League next season mate, oh sorry I forgot, you won't be playing Champions League football next season!!!
- The Big Easy, London, SW8, 19/07/2010 16:04
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Liverpool will regret this signing. No way is Joe cole worth a 100k a week and they will find this out to their detriment. Having said that well done to Joe Cole for getting an extra 20k a week to sit on a bench.
- david, london, 19/07/2010 15:50
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Well said Stu, all the need is 8 more players to make a team. Liverpool 'easy money' club. Weird where is he's ambition, i thought Man Utd, not Liverpool, for a guy from London, well we all know its the money, what talks.
- adrian, london, 19/07/2010 15:30
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@bazza - spurs have got more chance of being in the top 4 next season than u lot again.
Plus if we dont make it then it wont be u!
City have got a better chance and i can see liverpool struggling to get back into the top 4 let alone challange for the title
- North London, Berkshire, 19/07/2010 15:30
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He's not being greedy, it's just the premiums on his contents and motor insurance have just gone through the roof.
- Mark, Gerrymandered African Republic of Southwark, 19/07/2010 15:30
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Well Joe, What can I say.........Break a leg mate
- Celery, London, 19/07/2010 15:27
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You just keep believing that, "bazza", and when Three Man Team fail to achieve yet again this year we'll all hold yet another minute's silence for you and your wonderful City.
*Yaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwn...*
- Stu, Homeless, 19/07/2010 15:25
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Sorry North London, you're new on here and I should have given you more of a fair crack of the whip - however you are I'm afraid behaving in exactly the manner expected of a Big Club tm fan - if you hadn't posted that exact sentiment, any single one of the rest of your mob on here would have done.
Everyone on here knows who I support. I sincerely hope, though, you have more to offer in the way of banter than your brethren on here, who are limited to "feeder club" and "get over yourself" - one of which is actually a plaudit and the other some apparent Americanism I've yet to have anyone explain.
Welcome to the site. Please don't be like adrian.
- Stu, Homeless, 19/07/2010 15:21
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Common sense time...instead of all the nursey palytime here,
as much as i would love to see Joe Cloe at the Lane,he is not worth this bumper contract,i feel his better days are behind him,he is injury prone,especially the last 2 years.
And he was the one who saidit would not be about money,but hey Pool now have 3 good players,
The fact of the matter is Harry needs to strengthen other areas i don believe he is that much better than Lennon,Modric or Kranjkar..you cant play them all...and that is a fact..not sour grapes.
- phil, ealing, 19/07/2010 15:18
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Just can't get the material nowadays the players today it's not a matter of life and death as Shanks used to say.
- Jim, Leeds, 19/07/2010 15:18
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obviously joe knows totenham will only be in champions league this seoson and that will only be in the knockout stages.
over 4 years he sees the future is red
- bazza, liverpool, 19/07/2010 15:11
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What?!
if he had gone to spurs then great but he didnt.
We have plenty of players who do the same job!
who do you support stu?
- North London, Berkshire, 19/07/2010 15:00
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Oh yeah, course - one minute he's the best player on the planet, then he snubs Big Club tm and you didn't really need him anyway and he's not actually all that.
Change the record. One of you.
- Stu, Homeless, 19/07/2010 14:52
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thats true stu, the song can be adapted now -
3 men, you've only got 3 men!
- North London, Berkshire, 19/07/2010 14:49
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Money, money, money, must be funny in a rich mans world!
although good for liverpool, gerrard and cole behind torres? sounds good to me.
would have liked to have seen him at spurs but we have a few players that play in the same position so good luck to him at anfield.
- North London, Berkshire, 19/07/2010 14:39
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Three Man Team.
You can't say they're not improving...
- Stu, Homeless, 19/07/2010 14:38
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