The former West Ham star is an extremely talented player but he would be a luxury in an Arsenal team that is struggling for quality in every other department.
Fabregas, Nasri, Arshavin, Diaby, Rosicky, Denilson, Ramsey and Wilshere are all quality players that would compete with Cole for a place in the first team. In comparison, Alex Song is our only viable option in defensive midfield and we only currently have three centre backs available, one of which is still wearing a knee support in pre-season training. In goal we do not have a stand out number one and in attack van Persie will be fatigued, Bendtner is still injured and Chamakh is unproven. Joe Cole would provide a quality option and will be tempting for Wenger as he is a free transfer but his impact on the side would not be worth his extreme wage demands.
He has been linked with the Arse all summer and while he would not be an unwelcome addition, fans will be anxious to see the manager prioritising other positions in the transfer market.