Ancelotti to swoop for Ashley Cole?

According to French football publication Le 10 Sport, Paris Saint-Germain manager Carlo Ancelotti has held talks with Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole over a prospective move to France as early as when the transfer window opens in less than two months time in January.

Cole, 31, is out of contract at the end of the season and like fellow veterans Frank Lampard and John Terry, is not seen as part of the West London Club’s long-term vision.

Should Cole move to the French capital, it will be the first time the England international has played outside of England, and will team up with Ancelotti, who managed Chelsea for two years between 2009 and 2011.

Cole has spent all of his professional career in London. He is a product of Arsenal‘s Youth Academy and went on to achieve cult status with the fans for his exploits during Arsenal’s record-breaking 49-game unbeaten run.

In 2006, Cole made a highly controversial move to Chelsea to link up with Portuguese tactician Jose Mourinho. At Stamford Bridge, Cole has won a plethora of trophies, which includes last season’s UEFA Champions League.

Should Cole move to France, he could feature alongside several talented players, including Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Pastore, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Tiago Silva, Gregory van der Wiel and Jeremy Menez, just to name a few. The presence of former Chelsea team-mate Alex could also prove beneficial to him.

PSG have intentions of becoming a footballing force to reckon with, and bankrolled by their Qatari owners, the purchase of Cole would mean the injection of a quality defender. The Capital club are atop the Ligue 1 standings, with 22 points from ten games, but lead Marseille only by goal difference. Third-placed Olympique Lyonnais are a point behind.

But whether Chelsea, who are second in the Premier League table, a point behind Manchester United, will sell one of their best players is not yet known. The only back-up present at left-back is youth product Ryan Bertrand, who does not have enough Premier League experience to warrant a starting berth. Both Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta are capable of playing there, but they are right-backs by trade.

Cole also has 99 caps for England, having made his debut against Albania in 2001.