LONDON -- To borrow a phrase from "Alice In Wonderland," the speculation on whether Arsenal fullback Ashley Cole held a meeting with Chelsea power brokers in a London hotel last month gets curiouser and curiouser.

Christopher Davies

On the face of it, the chances of a player being tapped up in such a public place is beyond belief. While it would be naive to think illegal approaches do not occur, they tend to be more clandestine than half a dozen people working out a deal in a place where they would inevitably be recognized.