Chelsea

Smertin ready to fight for place
Alexei Smertin wants to stay at Chelsea and fight for a first-team place. Smertin, 31, who has two years left on his contract, made just 16 appearances for the Premiership champions last season, most as substitute. The Russia captain said: "The manager has a list of 24 players he wants in his first team next season and I'm told I'm one of them. "I'm prepared to give it my all and fight for a place on a regular basis, that's my aim." Smertin's willingness to contest a place at Stamford Bridge will deal a blow to Portsmouth who hoped to tempt him back to Fratton Park. The Chelsea midfielder spent the 2003-04 season on loan at Pompey who are keen to bolster their midfield after releasing Patrik Berger and Steve Stone. Smertin said: "No matter what people might say, I think I had a good season - I might even say it was a very good season for me. "I think I have adjusted well to the English game and I think it should only get better for me. "I also have a great relationship with all the other players at Chelsea and I'm already looking forward to next season."

Chelsea, Mourinho and Cole fined
Chelsea, their manager Jose Mourinho and Ashley Cole have been handed record fines after being found guilty in the Premier League's tapping-up probe. Chelsea were fined £300,000 and given a suspended three-point deduction. Arsenal defender Cole was handed a £100,000 fine, while Blues manager Jose Mourinho will have to pay £200,000. All three were said to have breached league rules by secretly meeting, without Cole's club knowing, at a London restaurant on 27 January. The guilty parties have 14 days to appeal against the decisions of the independent commission. Cole's lawyer Graham Shear confirmed he would be launching an immediate appeal, citing restraint of trade as a possible argument. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck also said they would almost certainly be contesting the club's punishment, and that of Mourinho as well. All parties have 21 days to pay their fines, while the costs of the case will be split equally between the three. Chelsea will only be deducted points if they are found guilty of the same offence - tapping up a player - next season. But Arsenal's request that they should receive compensation over the incident was rejected. Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon, Mourinho, Cole and agents Pini Zahavi and Jonathan Barnett were said to have been present at the meeting. Cole was found in breach of Premier League rule K5, which prohibited him from approaching Chelsea with a view to negotiating a transfer, without permission from Arsenal. Chelsea were found guilty of breaking rule K3, forbidding them approaching Cole, who has two years left on his current deal, by any means while under contract. PREMIER LEAGUE VERDICTS Chelsea in breach of Rule K3 which prohibits a club making an approach to a player under contract without obtaining permission of his club Ashley Cole in breach of Rule K5 which prevents a contracted player making an approach to a club with a view to negotiating a contract without prior written consent from his club Jose Mourinho was found to be in breach of Rule Q, governing managers' conduct Full commission statement Mourinho was in breach of rule Q, governing managers' conduct. Reacting to the verdicts, Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, was critical of Cole's agent. He told BBC Radio Five Live: "It wasn't the best protection for him by his agent, albeit that there were talks going on with Arsenal and he was looking to see his options with other clubs. "If there's a rule there and it's flagrantly breached then you leave yourself open to be charged." Zahavi, the 'super agent' who has helped broker many of Chelsea's big-name signings, was alleged to have been at the Lancaster Gate meeting, as was Barnett. Neither falls under the jurisdiction of the Premier League and therefore could not be subjected to any punishment. But the Premier League said it will pass on the independent commission's findings to the Football Association. An FA statement said: "We are investigating Jonathan Barnett's conduct in this matter and we will pursue any breach of FA regulations." The initial investigation followed newspaper reports in January that Cole, Mourinho and Kenyon met at the Royal Park Hotel at Lancaster Gate in central London. Charges were made by the Premier League on 23 March, with an independent commission hearing the case on 17-18 May. The previous record Premier League financial punishment was back in March 2002 when Middlesbrough brought charges against Liverpool for illegally approaching defender Christian Ziege. The Merseyside club were fined £20,000 while the player was hit with a £10,000 penalty. Earlier this season Aston Villa were warned and ordered to pay costs for making an illegal approach to the then Southampton striker James Beattie.

Chelsea step up left-back chase
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho looks to be close to signing a left-back as both Asier del Horno and Kakha Kaladze are linked to Stamford Bridge. Kaladze, of AC Milan, claims to have agreed a five-year contract with the English champions. "Everything between Chelsea and myself has been agreed," said the 27-year-old Georgia international. Meanwhile, Portuguese paper A Bola reports that Athletic Bilbao's Del Horno is in negotiations with Mourinho. The 24-year-old is expected to attract a fee of about £12m. "Three are leaving, three are coming in," Mourinho told A Bola. "We're going to bring in a left-back, a midfielder and a centre-forward."

Chelsea defiant over Arsenal feud
Bullish Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck declared that the Blues' relationship with Arsenal would be hard to rebuild after the Ashley Cole tapping-up probe. "Anything is possible, but it will be very difficult to have a good relationship with Arsenal. "They are in our league and we have to deal with them, but when you look at it, Arsenal had an agenda," he claimed. "None of the scenarios I'm thinking about are positive when it comes to Chelsea and Arsenal, but we can try." Buck said the Blues are almost certain to appeal against their £300,000 fine and the £200,000 fine handed out to manager Jose Mourinho. "We are very disappointed, shocked in fact, at the tribunal," added Buck. "In its findings of fact, it clearly said that Chelsea Football Club had been approached by agents on behalf of Ashley Cole. "They then came to the conclusion that the meeting constituted an approach from Chelsea. "We disagree with that conclusion and we think the sanctions are totally disproportionate to the sin. "We will appeal and we look forward to making this right at some point in the future. "Our view is that it breaches the rules if you make an approach with the intention of entering into a contract with the player. But we had no intentions of doing that and we made that clear to Arsenal." Buck also revealed the club was furious Mourinho had been hit with a £200,000 fine and said the Portuguese manager was equally keen to overturn the decision. "With respect to Jose, he was not an active participant in this saga," said Buck. "In previous tapping up situations the manager was not accused of breaching any rules. We think it was inappropriate to first charge Jose and then to fine him too. "But we told him we were likely to appeal and he's looking forward to that every bit as much as we are. "This is a lot of money whoever you are. Every pence and every pound is important to Chelsea but there is also a principle here."

Cole case could 'lead to chaos'
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has warned that football's transfer system could disintegrate unless clubs start to respect Premier League rules. Gunners full-back Ashley Cole is set to appeal against the £100,000 fine he received for meeting with Chelsea, claiming restraint of trade. "The fact is that there are rules in place," said Dein. "If clubs decide rules shouldn't be there, we'd have a free-for-all. There'd be no stability in the game." Chelsea were found guilty on Wednesday of 'tapping-up' Cole and fined £300,000. The club was also given a suspended three-point deduction, while Cole was handed a £100,000 fine. Blues boss Jose Mourinho will have to pay a £200,000 fine for his part in the infamous January meeting in a London hotel. "It depends what society we want to live in," added Dein. "If we want to go over red lights then there will be accidents and some will be fatal and others not fatal. "The point is the rules should be respected, set for the benefit of all Premier League clubs. We signed up for them and therefore they should be followed by all the clubs." Dein said football was a special case, and should not be subject to the same rules as other industries. "The public pay for the loyalty of the players, they don't expect players to move just at the drop of a wallet," said Dein. "Football is different. The clubs respect their part of the contract, they pay players when they're injured or off form, so it's important the contracts are respected on both sides." Meanwhile, Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor admitted the three-man commission had little option but to find Cole guilty. But Taylor insisted the England international had been given bad advice by agent Jonathan Barnett. "There are no particular rules here against the agents involved and Ashley has been placed in a position where the commission can only act against him," said Taylor. "To place Ashley in a meeting in a public hotel is really leaving him wide open." Taylor also said Cole's 'restraint of trade' argument did not stand up to scrutiny. "Players are free at the end of their contract," he said. "Even during a long-term contract after three years they have a right to speak to other clubs. There is ample opportunity. "All Chelsea needed to do if they were interested in Ashley Cole was inform Arsenal as well as speaking to the player." But Dennis Roach, an agent and spokesman for the International Association of Football Agents, takes the opposite view, describing the current rules as "ridiculous". "Everyone knows that if it is challenged - as it looks like it now will be - it would be broken," Roach told BBC Radio Five Live. "It will end up in the courts and have a lot of implications for the future. A contract is a contract but people should be allowed to speak to other clubs. "I think players should be given much more freedom."

Chelsea eye 'tapping' rule change
Chelsea have proposed changing the transfer regulations to allow clubs to approach players who are in the final year of their contracts. Chelsea's fine for making an illegal approach to Arsenal's Ashley Cole has sparked a debate on 'tapping-up' rules. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said he thought they could be "tweaked". "The one area I can think of is whether in the last year of a contract a player should be able to talk to other clubs without the permission of his club." Under world governing body Fifa's regulations, if a player is out of contract at the end of the season he can talk to overseas clubs from 1 January. But Premier League rules prevent players from holding similar talks within England until the third Saturday of May. The rule changes suggested by Buck would not have spared Chelsea from punishment over the Cole affair as the England left-back is contracted to Arsenal until 2007. The subject was not on the agenda for the two-day meeting of Premier League chairmen in Leicestershire. But Buck admitted it would be hard to avoid the topic. "We'll be in conversations with other clubs about the tapping-up rules, as we have been in recent weeks. Let's see how that comes out," he said. Despite the guilty verdict in the Cole affair, Buck insisted Chelsea did respect the rules. "What I do accept is that if we were redoing the year, there are things we might have done differently but it's always easy to say that in retrospect," he said. "By and large, I think we have tried to act properly at all times. "Some people have said Chelsea are arrogant and don't care about the rules, but we reject that entirely. "We want to be a good citizen in the football community and we believe that we are a good citizen."

Adriano rules out move to Chelsea
Inter Milan striker Adriano has insisted he has no interest in signing for Chelsea despite being linked with a move to the Premiership champions. The Brazil international, who scored 16 goals in Serie A last season, had been tipped for a £60m move to England. "Throughout the season Chelsea have been there with a multi-million pound offer but appear to have become more determined," he told Jornal do Brazil. "I'm happy to know that but am happy in Milan where I'm treated like a king." Chelsea step up left-back chase Adriano joined Inter Milan from Italian rivals Parma in 2003 and has pledged to stay at the club for at least one more season. "I hope to complete one more year there at least and I don't think about leaving," he said. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted a striker is one of his summer transfer priorities. "Three are leaving, three are coming in," Mourinho told Portuguese newspaper A Bola. "We're going to bring in a left-back, a midfielder and a centre-forward."

Chelsea poised to sign Del Horno
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed he is in transfer talks with Athletic Bilbao's Spanish international defender Asier del Horno. He is rated at £12m and Mourinho told Portuguese newspaper A Bola: "We are in conversations with him and later have to sign a midfielder and an attacker." AC Milan defender Kakha Kaladze also claims he is joining Chelsea. However, Mourinho has said he will only sign one defender this summer and so might not want to buy both players. Kaladze, the 27-year-old Georgian international, says he has agreed a five-year deal to move to Stamford Bridge. Kaladze said: "Everything between Chelsea and myself has been agreed. I don't have my suitcases ready but Milan know I am not happy." Milan sporting director Ariedo Braida said the move is "possible" but had not been agreed. Mourinho confirmed that he expects three players to leave Stamford Bridge, with striker Mikael Forssell set to complete a £3m move to Everton. The Merseysiders are also favourites to land midfield man Scott Parker in a £6m deal. "Three are leaving, three are coming in," Mourinho added. "We're going to bring in a left-back, a midfielder and a centre-forward. "But there will be no Portuguese players coming in."

Crespo poised to seal Milan move
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon will meet AC Milan officals next week to discuss the permanent transfer of on-loan striker Hernan Crespo. AC Milan president Adriano Galliani said: "We will meet with Peter Kenyon on Wednesday to discuss Crespo. "Our goal is to confirm the 11 starters from Istanbul for next season," added Galliani, referring to Milan's starting team in the Champions League final. Chelsea are keen to sell Crespo in part exchange for Milan's Kakhabar Kaladze. Crespo, 29, scored twice in the Champions League final before Milan lost on penalties to Liverpool. "I'm confident for the confirmation of Crespo because we have always had great relations with Chelsea," said Galliani. The Argentine, who joined Chelsea from Inter Milan for a fee of £16.8m in the summer of 2003, has been on a season-long loan at the San Siro. The AC Milan president also confirmed Kenyon has asked for permission to open talks with Kaladze with a view to signing the Georgian defender.

Essien expresses Chelsea interest
Lyon star Michael Essien is ready to shrug off interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Real Madrid to sign for Premiership champions Chelsea. The Ghanaian midfielder, valued at £15m, has hinted that Stamford Bridge is his preferred destination. "Chelsea is my best contact and I know they are interested in signing me," Essien told the Daily Star. "That is great joy for me because they are one of the best in Europe and I've always dreamed of playing in England." Essien called on Chelsea to make a decisive move for his services. "If Chelsea want me they really have to do everything in their power to make an agreement with Lyon," he said. "My agent must meet the president of Lyon in the next few days then I will go back to Chelsea and speak to them," Essien told the Daily Star. "My agent told me that Chelsea's directors were trying to meet people from Lyon but for the moment there has been no date or time set. "He told me he has had several conversations with Chelsea and they are prepared to offer me a five-year deal."

The Arnesen factor
Frank Arnesen arrived in London in May 2004 as Tottenham's new sporting director with little fanfare. Now, a little more than 12 months on, the 48-year-old's name is being trumpeted in headlines after Chelsea made an approach for his services. But why are the Premiership champions so keen to recruit the Dane? The answer is writ large in a footballing career that has spanned 30 years in four European countries. Tottenham's decision to go down the sporting director route did not win fulsome support in a country used to the more traditional British ethos of management. But what was never in doubt was the fact Arnesen was the right man for that job. A pacy, attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, he enjoyed a glittering playing career at club level with Ajax, Anderlecht, Valencia and PSV Eindhoven and won 52 caps for Denmark. After hanging up his boots he wasted little time in starting the next stage of his career, taking his coaching badges and becoming assistant manager to Bobby Robson at PSV Eindhoven. But it was his talent for spotting and developing players that impressed the club most and he was moved "upstairs" within three years. Arnesen was appointed as technical director, advisor and manager of scouting and transfers at PSV, a role he kept for 10 years until Guus Hiddink restructured the club. During that time he unearthed a host of talented, young players, including the likes of Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistlerooy, Jaap Stam and present Chelsea duo Mateja Kezman and Arjen Robben. He also took Eidur Gudjohnsen to PSV - the Icelandic striker now also plays for Chelsea. Not only did that help bring success, it also saved on spending and brought in financial reward when they moved on. FRANK ARNESEN FACTFILE Born: 30 September 1956 Copenhagen, Denmark 52 Denmark caps; 14 goals 1975: Joins Ajax Amsterdam and wins three league titles 1981: Moves to Valencia and is La Liga's top scorer in first year 1983: Wins league title in Belgium with Anderlecht 1985: Returns to Holland with PSV Eindhoven and wins three league titles before landing the European Cup in 1988 1991: Appointed PSV Eindhoven assistant to Bobby Robson 1994: Becomes PSV Eindhoven technical director 2004: Joins Tottenham 2005: Suspended by Spurs after link to Chelsea As well as his undoubted ability for picking potential stars, Arnesen also boasts one of football's biggest contact books. "He was a highly-respected player who everybody liked, and as a result, he has built up a huge network of contacts throughout Europe and elsewhere," Dutch journalist Henk van Weert told BBC Sport when Tottenham got their man. It was a view seconded by Arnesen's former international team-mate, Jan Molby. "Make no mistake, if Frank rings AC Milan or any other big club, they take his call right away. He's a real class act," the former Liverpool player told BBC Sport. Arnesen came in to restructure Spurs and, after a false start with Frenchman Jacques Santini at the helm, enjoyed a productive first season at White Hart Lane. In partnership with Martin Jol, his behind-the-scenes wheeling-and-dealing helped the club recover from their ignominious start to end the campaign on the cusp of European qualification. Players came in from around the world and during the January transfer window he attracted promising youngsters from the lower leagues such as Nottingham Forest duo Andy Reid and Michael Dawson and Derby's Tom Huddlestone. They are the sort of signings Chelsea would baulk at when, blessed with Roman Abramovich's millions, they can bring in any number of players who are the finished article, whatever the fee. But it is impossible to put a price on developing talent at a fraction of the cost. Abramovich will be hoping Arnesen delves into that contacts book and unearths some more potential stars to help make Chelsea a viable business as well as maintain their position at the Premiership summit.

Chelsea prove talk is cheap
Chelsea's antics in their moves for Ashley Cole and Tottenham's Frank Arnesen have left football in a state of confusion. Opinion is divided as to what a club, or a player, can and should be able to do legally - and what are the ramifications? BBC Sport looks at what may happen to Chelsea, Cole, Arnesen and the overseers of a changing climate, the Premier League. COLE OUT IN THE COLD? The whole sorry tapping-up saga has resembled a spaghetti western - with a good footballer involved in a deal gone bad, while everyone has ending up looking ugly. Arsenal will pay for trying to save a fistful of dollars as Cole has revealed his intention to leave town, while Chelsea have ridden off into the distance. Cole, who many believe is the best left-back in the world, said: "I wouldn't sign for another Premiership team because I can't imagine playing against Arsenal. "I would only want to play abroad. If necessary I will let my contract run down." Real Madrid and Barcelona are thought to be favourites to prevent Cole going stale at Highbury and a summer switch to one of the Spanish giants looks likely. Arsenal and Cole are the big losers in this episode. Cole is "heartbroken" and on the verge of making an acrimonious exit from the club he loves, while the Gunners will struggle to replace such a world-class player. Mega-rich Chelsea, meanwhile, will hardly flinch at their £300,000 fine for making an illegal approach to Cole and will swagger back to their transfer-strategy drawing board. CHELSEA'S ROUGH-RIDING RATTLES SPURS The dust has not even settled and Chelsea have again, according to Tottenham, been up to their old tricks. Chelsea seem determined not to leave north London empty-handed and they have identified Spurs' sporting director, Frank Arnesen, as a gold nugget to take back to the Bridge. Once more the Blues have been accused of trying to take without asking - this time breaking Premier League rule U10. Tottenham have claimed "Frank was approached prior to the club having had any chance to refuse permission". Their response has been to suspend Arnesen, who has already made clear his desire to join the newly-crowned Premiership champions. As before, the 'innocent party' is the one whose future hangs most delicately in the balance. Under Arnesen and coach Martin Jol, Tottenham's fortunes have been revived and the under-achieving club are showing signs of waking from their slumber. The 48-year-old Dane has had a major impact and influence at White Hart Lane. From his extensive contacts to his unfussy yet determined approach and his ability to uncover raw talent, Arnesen's resources have enriched Spurs - his absence will make them poorer. A SHIFT IN CHELSEA'S ATTITUDE Chelsea's recent behaviour has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many in the Premiership. Their perceived arrogance, ruthlessness and lack of respect has won them few friends and has certainly created an enemy or two in the heart of the capital. Perhaps their move for Arnesen, by all accounts a man who gets on with everyone, is a tactical manoeuvre designed to improve relations with their rivals. Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon's robust style in transfer dealings has not been well-received. Should his involvement in player deals come to an end, with Arnesen employed in his place, Chelsea may be able to begin to repair their reputation. Although, it is unlikely that Spurs would find forgiveness easy if Arnesen came back to tempt their best players to join him at Chelsea. Kenyon has stated that the intention is to make Chelsea less reliant on billionaire owner Roman Abramovich's pockets and to become self-financing by 2008. It is an admission that no club can continue to buy the world's best talent. Money talks but even Chelsea must realise that they have to do the talking with permission - and before they offer the money. A POSER FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE What happens if Chelsea are found guilty of approaching Arnesen without Tottenham's consent? The champions already have a suspended punishment of a three-point deduction for tapping up Cole. But that would be activated only if the same rule - K3, relating to players - was breached next season. If Chelsea are found guilty in the case of Arnesen, how will the Premier League react to what would be seen by some as disregard for the organisation's authority? It has been suggested that Chelsea could be made to start their defence of the title next season with a negative points total. However, others believe that Chelsea have simply sounded out Arnesen and offered him a job. No harm done. The Premier League could soon be facing a difficult decision. It seems to be common knowledge that tapping-up has been prevalent in football for years. Suddenly, though, it is no longer acceptable or tolerated or hidden away as Arsenal - and now Tottenham - have made their displeasure public. The fall-out could be huge, with clubs unlikely to be self-regulating in their transfer dealings. After all, it's a competitive business where winning is everything. Rules must be enforced, or modified, by the Premier League to account for a new environment. It could become very chaotic before the calm.

Everton still in hunt for Parker
Everton insist they are still in the race to sign Chelsea's Scott Parker, but will not comment on claims Mikael Forssell has failed his medical. "It is categorically untrue to say we have dropped out of the chase to sign Parker," an Everton spokesman said. But there is no news on Parker's Blues team-mate Forssell, who underwent tests at Everton on Saturday after missing most of last season with a knee injury. The clubs have already agreed a fee of around £4m for the 24-year-old striker. Forssell was fit enough to play in Chelsea's Champions League semi-final defeat by Liverpool last month. He is now with the Finland squad, and is expected to start their World Cup qualifier against Holland on 8 June before returning to Goodison Park for further talks. Parker's wages were believed to be the stumbling block to a £6m to Goodison Park, with Newcastle and Liverpool ready to fight it out for his signature. But David Moyes appears determined to land the midfielder, 24, who cost Chelsea £10m at the start of last year.

Former League chief slams Chelsea
Former Premier League chief executive Peter Leaver has accused Chelsea of "breathtaking arrogance" over their alleged approach to Frank Arnesen. Tottenham suspended their sporting director on Saturday, although Chelsea deny an illegal approach. Leaver told BBC Five Live: "Where does the truth lie when one has had what happened over the Ashley Cole case? "My problem is it is a breathtaking display of arrogance by Chelsea in the aftermath of the Ashley Cole affair." Chelsea have insisted that they made an "official approach" to Spurs for Arnesen to move to Stamford Bridge. But a statement on the Spurs website said: "This approach was made both prior to requesting permission and without permission from the club." The story broke only days after Chelsea were fined £300,000 and handed a suspended three-point deduction for 'tapping up' Arsenal defender Ashley Cole. And Leaver said that Chelsea's behaviour is damaging their relationship with the other Premier League clubs. "I think if people behave well it doesn't really matter what their muscle is," added Leaver, who resigned as the Premier League's chief executive in March 1999. "I think the real problem arrives when people start behaving arrogantly and behaving improperly and behaving badly. "They have to live with 19 other clubs in the Premier League. The way they are going about things at the moment seems to me to make it very difficult to live with those clubs." Leaver wants to see tests introduced to ensure that the right kind of people are working in football. "It seems to me it is going to be inevitable that there should be a fit and proper qualification for anyone who is going to be involved in football administration," said Leaver. "If there were such a test, as there is in financial services, the authorities would be looking very long and very hard at what is going on at Chelsea at the moment." Former Tottenham director of football David Pleat believes that 'tapping up' happens all the time. "I am surprised but there is no loyalty in football," said Pleat on BBC's Sportsweek. "People have agreements and contracts but, inevitably, in 90% of the cases when they move they have already had the whisper and then comes the formal approach. "I left last year in May and the following day Frank Arnesen was in place, so exactly the same thing happened when he left PSV Eindhoven. "Unfortunately football does not stand up when you talk about loyalty." And he suggested that Spurs deserved better from Arnesen. "I think Frank Arnesen, having secured a very good job in certain circumstances, has been rather disloyal to Tottenham - if he now needs to go and he is obviously going for one reason," added Pleat. "When Frank was thinking of retiring from PSV, Tottenham came along and I introduced him to them, to speak to him about how the football director relationship works. "They came back and were obviously quite seduced by Frank, gave Frank a terrific opportunity here to continue his career in that role, gave him a contract at whatever money and was more than happy to come. "Now a few months later, he is more than happy to go and that stinks a little bit, doesn't it?"

Blues keen on talks over Arnesen
Chelsea want face-to-face talks with Tottenham to solve the dispute over an alleged illegal approach for Spurs' sporting director Frank Arnesen. Tottenham refused Chelsea permission to talk to Arnesen, who was then suspended from his White Hart Lane duties. The two clubs have been involved in discussions to bring an end to the row, reports BBC Radio Five Live. A Premier League spokesman revealed they were still waiting for an official complaint from Spurs. A spokesperson for Spurs said: "Frank was suspended on Saturday and the club is still weighing-up its options with regard to a formal complaint." Tottenham also revealed on Saturday that Arnesen had told them he wanted to leave to take up a similar post at Stamford Bridge. The news about Arnesen came only three days after Chelsea and manager Jose Mourinho were fined for an illegal meeting with Arsenal defender Ashley Cole. Chelsea do not dispute that a letter requesting permission to approach Arnesen was sent to Tottenham - and was addressed to chairman Daniel Levy. However, Spurs have revealed the letter to ask for permission to approach Arnesen was also copied to the Spurs supremo. "By definition, Frank was approached prior to the club having had any chance to refuse permission," said a statement on the club's website. But Chelsea feel that they have not breached the Premier League rules covering employees of a club outside of the playing staff. The rule in question is U10, which governs that: No club shall directly or indirectly induce or intend to induce any employee of another club to terminate a contract of employment with that other club (whether or not by breach of that contract). No club shall directly or indirectly approach any such employee with a view to offering employment without the consent of that other club. The Premier League commission's verdict on the Cole case said that the Blues could be deducted three points for the 2005/06 season - but only if it is a repeat offence of Rule K3 which concerns players. Mourinho was found guilty of breaching Rule Q, which governs managers' conduct, and Cole Rule K5, which prevents a contracted player making an approach to a club, with a view to negotiating a contract without permission. It has been reported that the Blues believe negotiations with Spurs for Arnesen are still open - and that it may take £5m to secure the Dane's services. He was suspended by Spurs after apparently indicating that he wishes to make the move across London. Former Football League chairman David Sheepshanks told BBC Radio Five Live it was not only vital that the rulebook was adhered to but also that clear guidelines involving the role of agents are made. "It is very difficult. The more wealthy the guys are at the top the more important it is that the rulebook is applied," said Ipswich chairman Sheepshanks. "It really is very important we have strong rules on the way agents operate. At the end of the day it has to come from Fifa. "It is absolutely vital there is a clear rulebook and protocol set out for the behaviour of agents."

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