What next for Chelsea's Ashley Cole?

Ashley Cole

The second coming of Jose Mourinho hasn’t been all fun and games for Chelsea and England veteran Ashley Cole. He started the season as a regular at left-back, but a string of poor performances saw him lose his spot to Cesar Azpilicueta. This led to speculation that he wanted to quit Stamford Bridge with a host of clubs supposedly interested in securing his services. However, he has started a few more games of late and has actually put in a few decent performances. That being said, his future at Chelsea is still uncertain given that his contract runs out at the end of the season.

While his poor form has grabbed the spotlight this season, the fact of the matter is he has struggled for consistency since last season. Defensively, he looked suspect, especially against pacey wingers (that hasn’t changed much this season; Mohamed Salah terrorised him in the Champions League) and his offensive contribution was also limited. Despite that, he was handed a one-year contract extension and continued to feature quite regularly for Chelsea. However, with Chelsea showing plenty of interest in signing Southampton youngster Luke Shaw (and with Ryan Bertrand and Patrick van Aanholt still at the club) Cole’s days at Chelsea look numbered.

Will he be handed a new contract? It’s extremely debatable. By this time last season he had already extended his contract but that doesn’t mean much; Frank Lampard was handed a new deal only at the end of last season. Also, it’s vital to remember that Cole is one of Mourinho’s trusted men; the Special One was crucial in bringing him to Stamford Bridge and he is known to be fiercely loyal to players who will give their all to him. Poor form or not, Cole is one of those players. So him getting another contract extension is not out of the question, not at the moment anyway.

However, it’s safe to say he won’t be a regular at Chelsea next season. Even if the club don’t sign Luke Shaw, they have the talented Patrick van Aanholt all too ready to step up and make the left-back spot his own. Cole doesn’t strike anyone as the type to enjoy a bit-part role at the club but if anyone could convince him to do it, it’s Mourinho. It would be in the best interest of the club if he stayed on as a bit-part player-cum-mentor; the younger players could use his experience. It doesn’t seem a lot, but it makes plenty of difference in the long run. At the moment though, it’s all just speculation. The veteran could very well choose to not extend his contract and instead join a club in the MLS. And after the career he’s had, no one would begrudge him that choice.

While Cole’s future at Chelsea is uncertain, one thing is for sure: his days at the top will come to an end soon enough. Whether he chooses to spend them at Chelsea in a bit-part role or in the MLS collecting a massive pay-cheque remains to be seen. That’s something only time will tell.