Cole signs extension with Arsenal

England defender Ashley Cole has signed a one-year contract extension with Arsenal, the player's agents Stellar Group said yesterday. The deal will take the left back through to 2008 and follows the "tapping up" affair in which Cole, Chelsea and their...

England defender Ashley Cole has signed a one-year contract extension with Arsenal, the player's agents Stellar Group said yesterday.

The deal will take the left back through to 2008 and follows the "tapping up" affair in which Cole, Chelsea and their manager Jose Mourinho were given record fines last month by the Premier League.

Cole, whose side won the FA Cup but lost their league title to Chelsea last season, said in a statement: "I am now looking forward to another successful season.

"We are all determined to regain the Premiership and title and I can't wait for the season to start now."

Chelsea were fined 300,000 pounds ($524,300), Mourinho was fined 200,000 pounds and Cole 100,000 pounds for breaches of Premier League rules on approaches to players under contract following a meeting in a London hotel in January.

Chelsea have accepted their fine but Cole and Mourinho, supported by his club, have launched appeals which will be heard by a three-man panel on August 10.

Along with the fine, Chelsea were also warned they would be docked three points if they committed a similar offence next season.

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