• England midfielder resigned to leaving Stamford Bridge
• Harry Redknapp among front-runners for his signature

Joe Cole’s contract talks with Chelsea are believed have broken down and the midfielder is resigned to leaving Stamford Bridge, placing a host of rival clubs on alert for one of the most attractive Bosman free transfers of the summer. The 28-year-old, whose deal is set to expire next month, had been hopeful of the offer of fresh terms and an increase in his weekly wage to £100,000. But the Chelsea hierarchy is determined to restructure financially and resolved not even to offer him a rise on his current £80,000-a-week earnings.

Just as significantly, Cole has received no assurances from Carlo Ancelotti over his chances of becoming a regular in the manager’s starting XI. Cole has endured a stop-start season, in which he has been supplanted in the team by Florent Malouda and has struggled to regain his best form after a serious knee injury.

He spoke before the FA Cup final victory over Portsmouth, in which he appeared as a 71st-minute substitute, of it being “difficult playing 20 or 30 minutes here and there and, when you are starting, you are looking over your shoulder”.

Cole signed from West Ham for £6.6m in July 2003 and the manager at his first club, Harry Redknapp, now in charge at Tottenham, will be among the front-runners for his signature on a free transfer.

Cole is expected to feature in England’s last warm-up match against Japan in Graz on Sunday, when he will hope to show Fabio Capello he is worth a place in the final 23-man World Cup squad. But his club situation rumbles on with John Terry, Chelsea’s captain, on record stating the importance of keeping Cole at Stamford Bridge.

Redknapp, meanwhile, has added Micah Richards to his list of transfer targets, as he seeks to bolster his defensive options before Tottenham’s entry into the Champions League qualifiers.

The manager has long-term injury concerns over the centre-halves Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King, although the latter did finish the domestic season strongly, and Redknapp considers Richards, the Manchester City defender, as potentially able to give him greater strength, particularly as he can play at right-back as well.

Redknapp also has Michael Dawson, Sébastien Bassong and Younes Kaboul in central defence – Kaboul finished the season at right-back, in the absence of the injured Vedran Corluka – but, with the full-back Alan Hutton up for sale, there is room for another recruit. Richards, who has suffered from niggling injuries, has been in and out of the City team.

ChelseaTransfer windowTottenham HotspurDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk