'Arsenal's winning culture was falling apart' - Cole says money was not the reason for controversial Chelsea move

Ashley Cole says he could feel Arsenal’s winning culture falling apart before he left the Emirates Stadium for Chelsea.

The former England left-back, who retired from football in 2019, made the controversial switch from north to west London in 2006.

Cole won two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups at Arsenal and went on to enjoy more success in blue, winning another league title, four FA Cups and the Champions League among other honours.

He left in controversial circumstances and remains an unpopular figure at Arsenal, but Cole says he had his reasons for wanting to leave.

“The transition in terms of being in a different group, environment and players was easy because at the time when I first started at Arsenal, we had a core – the Keowns, the Seamans, the Vieiras, the Henrys, the Adams’,” Cole told BBC Sport.

“When they started to leave, I felt there were holes in the culture of what it was that brought success. I just felt it was falling apart a bit, or there were gaps missing and they weren’t filled.

“So that transition in terms of finding myself in a different culture and the willingness and want to win, I went to Chelsea and I had that.”

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There was plenty of animosity between Cole and Arsenal as he left, with many fans accusing him of forcing his way out for a higher wage at Chelsea, but the left-back says the public image of the move wasn’t a fair one.

Asked if he would do things differently if he had the time again, he replied: “Yeah, I think when you look back, there were mistakes, for sure, on both sides.

“One hundred per cent, it’s not just entirely my fault and it’s not entirely their fault.

“I was probably a little bit too stubborn at the time and felt a little bit hard done by. I was a little bit babyish to be honest, but it’s something I won’t ever regret and I wouldn’t ever change that situation.

“It’s just something that happened. Maybe it was meant to be, who knows? But I definitely feel unjust about it because it wasn’t what people think in terms of money. It’s crazy, but that was probably the last thing on my mind.”