Chelsea have confirmed midfielders Michael Ballack and Joe Cole will leave Stamford Bridge on a free transfer at the end of this month.

Both players were out of contract and largely expected to sign new deals, but owner Roman Abramovich has been conservative in his approach towards the two players.

In a contrast to the recent past, Abramovich has cut down on wages and was not willing to offer either injury-prone Cole nor 33-year-old Ballack the contracts they wanted.

Cole was signed by Claudio Ranieri as one of the first players of the Abramovich revolution for £6.6 million, playing 282 times for the club. Ballack amassed 168 appearances in his four-year stay.

Cole was voted Chelsea’s player of the year in 2008 after a number of fine performances and he also scored a crucial goal at Old Trafford to help the Blues towards the title.

Ballack scored his last goal for the club in Chelsea’s 7-1 win over Aston Villa in March and will be remembered for his role under Avram Grant as club captain for a short period.

Everyone at TalkChelsea would like to express their thanks and gratitude towards both players for their respective roles in helping the club secure the Double, and wish them the best for the future.

We all also wish Ballack the speediest of recoveries after his injury in the FA Cup final last month.