TheSportsCampus

Former Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti is planning a shock swoop for Chelsea's veteran left-back Ashley Cole according to reports in the British press this morning. With just one year on his current contract at Chelsea and with no news of a new deal being discussed, Cole could be tempted to leave Stamford Bridge to join the financial big guns of Ligue 1 this summer.

The 31 year-old Arsenal youth product joined Chelsea in 2006. The defender has gone on to become one of the club's most celebrated players, having won one Premier League title, four FA Cups, one League Cup and most recently the UEFA Champions League.

Ancelotti managed the Blues for two years and played a key role in them winning a League and Cup double in the 2009-10 season. The Italian manager is now at the helm of Paris Saint Germain and looks at the experienced Englishman as a valuable addition to his squad.

The defender is, meanwhile, left frustrated after receiving no new offers to stay with the club following six glorious years at Stamford Bridge. The English international is understood to be happy at Chelsea for the time being, suggesting that he could well see out the rest of his contract and leave the Champions League winner as a free agent next summer.

However, reports in the Daily Mirror suggest that PSG will flex their financial muscle this summer in an attempt to steal the defender from Chelsea. The presence of Ancelotti at the Parc des Princes will make the offer all the more lucrative for Cole. Ancelotti is also ready to offer Cole a three-year deal, which is unlikely to be matched by the Blues, while the Parisian club will also hand the left-back improved wages compared with his current deal.

PSG have already bought centre-back Thiago Silva from Milan and this addition to the squad can morph them into a highly effective defensive unit as they embark on a mission to claim domestic and European success.