Chelsea has confirmed that Joe Cole and Michael Ballack are leaving the club as free agents this summer. Cole, 28, has spent the last seven years at Stamford Bridge. Ballack, 33, has been there for four.

Cole has never really regained his form since a January 2009 knee injury that kept him out for eight months. He has nevertheless been immediately linked to every major club in England. Cole came up through West Ham's academy and would probably like to stay in London. Spurs looks to be a decent landing spot, then, as Tottenham prepare for an August Champions' League playoff.

Ballack's best days are behind him. He is missing the World Cup through an ankle injury. Chelsea weren't going to touch him with a ten-foot pole; in four years at the club he's been fit barely half the time.

Each man will sign for a premium as each can sell a lot of jerseys in his home market. The contracts they get will look to be too big, but all too often it's about the shirt sales.

Chelsea are now the most interesting club to watch in the transfer window: will the Blues spend, or are wages going to be cut back? Manchester United does not look to be in a position to spend, so we'll see which clubs Chelsea thinks are its rivals: MU, Liverpool, Arsenal, and the like… or Real Madrid and Barcelona.