The England international could be leaving the Blues in the near future.
The future of Chelsea star Ashley Cole in west London remains uncertain as Jose Mourinho plans a raid on former club Real Madrid for left-back Fabio Coentrao, according to the Daily Mail.
Cole has been largely out of the Blues first team for the past two months, as the defender is struggling with a rib injury but also form.
Cesar Azpilicueta has become Mourinho’s preferred choice on the left side of defence, despite the fact the Spaniard is naturally a right-sided player.
It’s a similar story for the England national team, where despite the fact Cole has 106 caps for the nation and has been arguably their best player over the past decade, manager Roy Hodgson has continuously hinted that Everton’s Leighton Baines will get the spot in the long term.
Coentrao meanwhile is likely to be open to a move to Stamford Bridge, with the Portugal international getting limited opportunities under new Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Mourinho is a big fan of the 25-year-old and the defender flirted with the idea of a switch to the Premier League in the summer when Manchester United were interested.
Coentrao’s wages are not beyond the realms of the west London club and the player’s agent is Jorge Mendes – the same as the Chelsea head coach’s.
The Portuguese star would arrive initially on a six month temporary deal, but that could be made permanent next summer and would also give the club a chance to try and sign promising youngster Luke Shaw from Southampton.
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