Arsenal get real in Cole talks

ARSENAL defender Ashley Cole is ready to start talks on a new contract despite reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Cole has more than two years left on his existing deal but Arsenal have already confirmed their wish to offer him a pay rise to make sure he stays at Highbury.

The 24-year-old England full-back’s emergence into a defender of international quality has seen his potential value soar, with some observers rating him ahead of Brazilian Roberto Carlos as the world’s best left-back.

Real have been linked with a £14 million move for Cole and wages of up to £75,000 a week.

However, Arsenal are ready to start talks over a contract extension, and while Cole will have to see the terms on offer before he signs, he is keen to stay in north London.

Cole’s agent Jonathan Barnett said: “Ashley has two-and-a-half years left on his contract and loves Arsenal to bits. If they were to come to him with a new contract offer then of course he would be willing to listen.

“If Arsenal offered him something really good then his first choice would be to stay at the club. He would rather do that than go anywhere else.”

Manager Arsene Wenger, who brought Cole through the youth ranks at Highbury after the player joined as a trainee in 1997, revealed that talks would start soon on a new contract.

“We are talking at the moment about giving him a better contract,” said the Arsenal boss. “This will give him the recognition as one of the top players and we hope it will be concluded in the next few months.”

Vice-chairman David Dein has also stressed that Arsenal have no intention of allowing Cole to leave Highbury, claiming recently that “he is our player and we intend to keep him our player.”

The chances of Cole moving to Madrid were not helped by the racist abuse he suffered at the hands of thousands of Spanish fans in last month’s England friendly at the Bernabeu.

The Arsenal defender has so far kept silent on the £45,000 fine handed out to the Spanish Football Federation.

However, rather than planning for Sunday’s home game against Fulham, as Arsenal look to maintain the pressure on Chelsea, Cole has been given an unwelcome Christmas break.

He picked up his fifth caution of the domestic season in last weekend’s victory at Portsmouth and serves a one-match suspension on Boxing Day.