Chelsea set to escape Cole censure: report

English Premiership leaders Chelsea are reportedly set to be cleared over allegations they made an illegal approach to sign Arsenal's Ashley Cole, seen here in 2004

English Premiership leaders Chelsea are reportedly set to be cleared over allegations they made an illegal approach to sign Arsenal's Ashley Cole.

Earlier reports claimed Cole attended a meeting in a London hotel with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon.

Chelsea manager Mourinho brushed off the allegations on Sunday, claiming he was in Milan for talks with Inter's Adriano at the time.

However, The News of the World, Britain's biggest-selling Sunday tabloid, said it had sworn affidavits from a member of the public who, they said, witnessed a meeting between Mourinho, Kenyon and agent Pini Zahavi.

But the London Evening Standard said Monday such a meeting never happened although another meeting featuring an as yet, unidentified player, did take place at London's Royal Park hotel last Thursday.

This though was arranged with a view to selling a player rather than buying one.

England left-back Cole, 24, is under contract to Arsenal until 2007 so any meeting would be illegal under Football Association rules.

Chelsea lead the Premiership by 10 points from champions and London rivals Arsenal.

And Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood he would press for a points deduction against Chelsea if the accusation the Blues had 'tapped up' Cole were proved.

"The Premier League rules are very clear on this matter. If the club is presented with evidence that those rules have been contravened I'm sure we will take the matter further," Hill-Wood told The Sun.

"These are very serious allegations and we will be investigating the matter as quickly as possible.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, seen here in 2004, brushed off allegations Chelsea made an illegal approach to sign Arsenal's Ashley Coleon Sunday, claiming he was in Milan for talks with Inter's Adriano at the time

"Ashley Cole is under contract to Arsenal for another two seasons and I am sure the club will be talking to him about these reports in an effort to get this matter resolved.

"We know this sort of thing does go on in football and it would not be the first time another club has tried to speak to one of our contracted players."

Chelsea did not issue an official denial on Sunday but Kenyon spoke to BBC Radio and, when asked if he had anything to fear from an investigation, said: "No, not at all."

Kenyon would not be drawn into commenting directly on Chelsea's interest or otherwise in Cole but said: "There was supposed to be another secret meeting with another Premiership club about another Premiership player.

"So where do you stop with these things? The rules of the game are quite clear so we're just getting on with our business."

Mourinho, who was questioned about the allegations after his team's FA Cup win over Birmingham on Sunday, tried to make a joke out of it.

"On that day at that time I was in Milan speaking with (Inter Milan and Brazil striker) Adriano," he said.

"I was just practising my Portuguese with him because I don't need strikers," said Chelsea's Portuguese boss.

But Inter spokesman Paolo Vigano said: "Not only is Adriano not for sale, it is impossible he saw Mourinho on Thursday.

"There are no negotiations for Adriano and it is impossible Mourinho has talked to our player without our knowledge."

Mourinho said speculation over players moving to Chelsea was unrelenting.

"It is names after names with us, because it is Chelsea. Everybody wants to come and everybody wants to connect players with us," he said.

"But I have no time to meet players. I am concentrating on my job with the club, and that is to get some silverware.

Cole's agent Jonathan Barnett denied the meeting took place.

"Any suggestion that Ashley Cole has spoken to anyone at Chelsea is total and utter nonsense," he said.

"There is no problem between Ashley and Arsenal. Ashley is extremely happy at Arsenal - he has neither asked nor considered a move."