Arsenal rejected agent's fee

14 April 2012

Arsenal will tell tomorrow's Premier League inquiry into the Ashley Cole 'tapping' affair that his agent wanted £750,000 from the club as part of the deal to give a new contract to the England left-back.

Talks about a new five-year agreement were well advanced and appeared to be progressing well until Jonathan Barnett asked for the money for his role in the negotiations.

Barnett said he wanted Arsenal to pay him £150,000 a year for the five years of the deal. Standard Sport can reveal that the Arsenal board of directors dismissed the request unanimously when it was submitted to them - and talks have been deadlocked since that decision.

There was a difference between club and player about the basic wage 24-year-old Cole should earn but the club were confident that the issue could be resolved. But they steadfastly refused to pay any money to Barnett for arranging the contract.

The demand from Barnett and Arsenal's rejection of the proposal are certain to form part of the club's evidence when the inquiry meets tomorrow and Wednesday.

Cole will continue to train this week and will play in Saturday's FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Manager Arsene Wenger says contract talks will resume once the hearing is over.

Cole and Chelsea have been charged by the Premier League over an alleged meeting in a west London hotel in which chief executive Peter Kenyon, manager Jose Mourinho, agent Pini Zahavi, Barnett and Cole were present. The meeting, it is alleged, was a blatant breach of Premiershiprules governing contact with a player under contract at another club.

There have been suggestions that if Chelsea are found guilty they could face a points deduction but a financial penalty is more likely.

There is no doubt, however, that Arsenal will be furious if an illegal approach for Cole is proven and will demand a stiff penalty.

The timing of the inquiry has been criticised by Wenger, who believes it will be a distraction as he prepares his team for the Cup Final.

Mourinho will attend the hearing before heading to Chelsea's trip to South Korea.

Mourinho and Cole were charged on 23 March. Cole was formally charged under Rule K5, governing approaches from players to clubs while Chelsea were charged under Rule K3, which governs approaches from clubs to players. Mourinho was charged under Rule Q, governing managers' conduct.

The chairman of the independent commission will be former High Court judge Sir Philip Otton.

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Arsenal rejected agent's fee

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