Cole move close to collapse as clock ticks

ASHLEY COLE’S hopes of joining Chelsea hung in the balance as the clock ran down towards the end of the transfer window.

With just over 24 hours before no further business can be conducted, there was little sign of an end to the drawn-out saga which has engulfed the Arsenal and England defender for more than a year.

Although Cole wants to join the Premiership champions, the Gunners know they do not have to sell – unless the price is right.

Chelsea are understood to be ready to pay more than £20m (€29m)for Cole, a figure which still falls some way below Arsenal’s valuation.

Despite the apparent deadlock, with sources in both camps yesterday admitting the prospect of brokering a deal looked unlikely, the move may yet be resurrected tomorrow – particularly if Blues defender William Gallas becomes an integral part of the package.

There is no doubt Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho still wants Cole, despite the recent signing of versatile defender Khalid Boulahrouz and the improved form of Wayne Bridge.

However, whether that is at any cost remains to be seen over the next day.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he has already started to plan for life without Cole.

However, the Gunners boss intimated he would have no qualms about bringing the defender back into the fold should he still be at the club come Friday morning.

“After August 31st, I will assess the situation. We will see what happens then,” Wenger said diplomatically last week when he again deflected the continuing questions on the future of his left-back as well as winger Jose Antonio Reyes.

Meanwhile Thomas Gravesen has vowed to deliver even more silverware to Celtic after completing his shock move from Real Madrid.

The Glasgow giants signed the 30-year-old midfielder to go some way to softening the blow of losing Stilian Petrov to Aston Villa.

Gravesen dropped his wage demands while former Hoops boss Martin O’Neill’s capture of the Bulgarian international skipper – in a deal that could be worth £8m (€11.8m)– gave Celtic the money to bring in the Danish star.

The former Everton favourite was not happy to sit on the bench at the Bernabeu and nobody could doubt his hunger for more success and his reasons for moving to Glasgow.

“I look forward to meeting up with my new team-mates next week,” said Gravesen, who faces competition from Neil Lennon, Jiri Jarosik, Shunsuke Nakamura, Stephen Pearson, Alan Thompson and Evander Sno for a place in midfield.

Celtic supporters feared English clubs – including Newcastle United – had hijacked the move after Gravesen left Glasgow following talks and undergoing a medical in the city.

But now the Hoops can look forward to him lining up for the league and league cup winners against Manchester United, Benfica and Copenhagen in the Champions League.

Manager Gordon Strachan has been looking for “personality players” since the high-profile departures of Roy Keane, John Hartson and Chris Sutton this year.

And the arrival of Gravesen follows last week’s signings of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Lee Naylor.