COLE PAY TALKS SHELVED

JOE COLE is involved in a pay dispute with Chelsea. Negotiations over a new contract have been put on hold until the end of the season, with the former West Ham midfielder demanding more than double his current £35,000-a-week. Cole, 24, seeking parity with team-mates John Terry and Frank Lampard, wants a four-year deal worth £80,000-a-week to stay at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon offered a 10 per cent increase but sources close to Cole dismissed it as ‘ derisory’. Cole has made 15 appearances for Chelsea this season and his England place for next year’s World Cup Finals looks assured. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had been hoping to resolve the player’s future before Christmas, but Kenyon is determined to play hardball. Despite the club’s wealth, Kenyon is trying to establish a pay ceiling after carrying out an audit of the salary structure. Striker Hernan Crespo is the best-paid player at the club on £90,000-a-week, closely followed by Terry and Lampard. While talks have reached an impasse, Chelsea and Cole claim they are happy to wait until the summer before negotiations resume. The dispute is another distraction for Mourinho after his most unsettling period at Stamford Bridge. Problems with Arjen Robben and Crespo have affected the team’s morale and results on the pitch have dipped. Following their draw at Everton last month, Chelsea have been beaten in the Carling Cup by Charlton, lost against Real Betis in the Champions League and Manchester United in the Premiership.