That could be the situation the England defender is faced with, especially if the scandal in Serie A leads to relegation for the four clubs accused of match fixing, says Matt Hughes in The Times.
A year ago, before a season spoiled by injury, Cole signed a deal with Arsenal that would allow him to leave the club this summer only if the Gunners could recoup £16 million for the full-back.
But events further afield could lead to a distinct lack of suitors for Cole. Many star players in the ranks of Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio would become free agents if the threat of relegation gets enforced. The likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea would happily settle for World Cup winners before dishing out a big fee for Cole.
According to the Daily Mirror, Cole is determined to leave Arsenal no matter what after his bust-up with vice-chairman David Dein during the "tapping-up" scandal 18 months ago.
He's never forgiven Dein for the part he played in taking him and his agent along with Chelsea to court, and is ready to forget all about his battle to clear his name following the consequent fine he received from the Premier League.
Cole will be keeping his fingers crossed Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon who is reported to be pushing for a deal can convince Blues boss Jose Mourinho and club owner Roman Abramovich to bring Cole to Stamford Bridge instead of Gianluca Zambrotta. However, both are reluctant to re-ignite the row with Arsenal.