Chelsea have refused to deny that they are pursuing Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole, although the club did reveal that David Beckham is not one of their transfer targets.
Amid speculation that the club were secretly negotiating with Cole, Chelseas have released a statement to clarify their position.
The statement read: “The club has an established policy on stories linking it with players, whatever the circumstances. We have not commented in the past, do not intend to comment now, and will not do so in the future.”
Arsenal are currently in talks with Cole to extend his current deal.
Meanwhile, coach Jose Mourinho announced he wants to sign “a great player” – with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard the name most frequently mentioned, although he insisted David Beckham would not be coming to west London.
“We are already scouting half-a-dozen players, who are the best in the world, because only they have the ability to join a super, balanced squad like ours.”
However, Mourinho denied that England captain David Beckham was a target.
“That player isn’t Beckham, not that I don’t like him as a player or as a person,” he added.
“It’s simply that because of the position that he plays, and the way that our team play, he doesn’t seem ideal to us.”
