Cole enjoys the water treatment

It's certainly appropriate that after being tapped up, Ashley Cole will spend his England week at the springs . . . Champneys Health Resort Springs to be precise.

England players are being pampered with water treatments at their Leicestershire base at a health resort that offers everything from tai chi to pilatesbased mat work as part of their anti-stress remedies.

If he really wants to relax, Cole can lie back on the dry flotation bed and think of how he would spend £90,000 a week.

Of course, tempted as they might be, Chelsea stars Frank Lampard, Joe Cole or Glen Johnson will know better than to test the water of Cole's commitment to Arsenal with a few choice words of their own.

Premier League rules not only forbid club managers and chief executives from making illegal approaches to rival players under contract, they also state that players from other clubs must not tap up other players.

Perhaps Chelsea's stars will just have to use more subtle arts to persuade Cole about what lovely people he could have as future team-mates. The Blue trio could club together and buy from the Boutique, at the bargain price of £3.49, an official Champneys water bottle . . . and there wouldn't be a tap up in sight.