Joe Cole And Ballack To Leave Chelsea FC

Most people expected the harsh economic reality of the real world to hit home in the Premier League some time soon.

Few, however, expected Chelsea to be among those clubs attempting to impose restraint in the contract negotiations of top players.

The club's decision last year to offer John Terry a new five-year deal reportedly worth around £160,000 per week maintained the astonishing spiral of wage inflation enjoyed by those at the peak of their profession and sustained Chelsea's reputation as a club that signs cheques for fun.

No more, it would seem. The announcement that Joe Cole and Michael Ballack have not agreed new contracts and will leave Stamford Bridge when their current deals expire at the end of this month was as abrupt as it was surprising.

This, after all, is a club that has just emerged from the most successful season in its history after completing the Premier League and FA Cup double for the first time.

And while the two players were hardly headline-grabbers during the campaign – Cole in particular endured a frustrating run on the fringes of the team after recovering from injury in January – they were integral members of Carlo Ancelotti's squad.

Cole's situation has attracted most attention, largely because of his seven-year association while the club and the fact that his demands have been widely reported.

The decision also appears surprising given the praise heaped on the player at the end of the season by Ancelotti who repeatedly stated he wanted Cole to stay at the club while conceding it was a matter for the club hierarchy to resolve.

The consensus is that the midfielder wanted £100,000 per week while Chelsea offered a 12 month rolling contract worth around £20,000 per week less. Not the biggest gap in the world, especially given the telephone figure numbers bandied around in any Premier League boardroom, but big enough to bring an end to his Stamford Bridge career.

Equally significant, though, was the player's apparent frustration at his role of substitute and while a hefty pay cheque may have softened the blow, Cole's unwillingness to bend in his demands was almost certainly affected by his overall dissatisfaction with his standing in the squad.

Addressing a media briefing at England's World Cup training camp, Cole responded to the decision and said: "I'm just focused on the World Cup. I leave that to my agent. I just want to keep my head down and concentrate on training and playing here.

"My future will sort itself. I just want to concentrate on England. It's been going on a while. It's a story to be told for another day, but I just want to do my best for England."

Ballack, meanwhile, had been at the club for four years but his hopes of extending his stay ended when the club refused to meet his demands for a two year contract.

Ancelotti has been quieter on the German's future but he clearly is an admirer of the player given the responsibility he handed Ballack in key games last season.

The decisions will not be the subject of dispute between the Chelsea manager and his employers. While Ancelotti undoubtedly admires both players he will have given the sign they are expendable in the context of his long term plans.

But should Cole have an impressive World Cup, the decision to allow him to leave, most likely to join Manchester United, Arsenal or Tottenham, the move might yet appear foolhardy.

However, the release of Ballack and Cole is only one half of an equation that will be balanced by new players coming into the club and their salaries will go no doubt boost the budget available to fund new recruits. And given the club's failure to reach the business end of the Champions League, Ancelotti clearly accepts improvements can be made.

Whatever happens this summer, though, the decision to release two senior player appears to signal a hard-headed approach that hasn't always been associated with Chelsea during the Roman Abramovich era. In recent times the club has carried senior players who have compromised their desire to play more regularly with the substantial rewards they received at the end of each month.

Chelsea now appear to applying the same constraints to contract negotiations that United and Arsenal have followed in refusing to offer extended contracts to players approaching the later stages of their careers.