Cole insists talks over Chelsea deal are still on

Cole’s future has been the subject of speculation with the 31-year-old entering the final year of his Blues contract.

Reports suggested Chelsea had yet to open talks with Cole over a contract extension, with the player supposedly holding out for a deal worth £200,000 a week.

However, Cole took to Twitter today to dismiss talk of his pay demands and explain that talks have only just got under way.

The left-back wrote: “Contract talks have not stalled just started, and 200k are you for real, I’d never ask for that.

“Like I said before don’t listen or always believe what media say they aint got a clue.”

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia is excited by his old club’s squad-building this summer after years of selling off their top stars.

The Spaniard collected a 2005 FA Cup winner’s medal with the Gunners, albeit as an unused substitute, but that remains the north London side’s last major trophy. The likes of Thierry Henry, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor have since departed for significant fees and the club’s apparent reluctance to invest in proven replacements has deepened the frustrations of fans who have seen their team trail the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea in the battle for silverware.

Almunia said: “As a player at Arsenal, it is hard to see the best players go to other clubs every year. They have missed a lot of great players in the last few years. The first year I came to England, I thought ‘Oh, I’m going to win a lot of things with Arsenal’ but the change then started. The club has been changing every year.”

His compatriot, Malaga midfielder Santi Cazorla, is also expected to sign in the coming days while Arsene Wenger has been heavily linked with a move for Real Madrid’s Nuri Sahin.