Chelsea claimed the Arsenal team was run by a French 'clique'

Documents from the Chelsea tapping-up inquiry said Cole's agent Jonathan Barnett showed Arsenal's David Dein a text during contract talks.

In it, Vieira allegedly told Cole not to accept "less than �80,000 a week".

"I categorically deny sending any such text message. It's simply not true," Vieira said in a statement.

Chelsea, Cole and Blues manager Jose Mourinho were all fined after being found guilty on Wednesday of breaking Premier League rules by holding a secret meeting.

He was concerned that the relationship with the manager was not good Chelsea's Peter Kenyon on Ashley Cole

Documents released by the independent commission on Friday revealed a number of claims made by the various parties.

They included the revelation that Barnett showed Dein the text in January after the Arsenal vice-chairman said �55,000 a week was the club's final offer.

According to the commission: "He showed Dein a text message on Barnett's mobile phone purportedly from Patrick Vieira telling Cole 'not to accept less than 80k'.

Agent vows to clear Cole's name

"Barnett stated they could get �80-90,000 a week and that they could sell Ashley Cole for �20m.

"He then gestured to his phone saying: 'Do you want me to make a phone call, this is take it or leave it time', from which Dein inferred [and, as we find, Barnett intended that he should infer] that there was another club that was seriously interested in signing Ashley Cole."

Commission rejects Chelsea claims

Chelsea argued during the hearing that they had no intention of signing Cole, but wanted to hear his grievances about Arsenal.

But on Friday the commission dismissed Chelsea's plea of innocence.

"They (chief executive Peter Kenyon and Mourinho)... explored the prospect of acquiring Cole. This amounted to an approach with a view to negotiating a contract," the commission found.

In the 24-page evidence, it was stated that Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon claimed Cole had said at the meeting that Arsenal was run by its French contingent, and that his relationship with manager Arsene Wenger was not as solid as it should be.

The real problem here is the deviation in wages between similar category players at the same club From TJ Have your say on 606

"He was concerned that the relationship with the manager was not good, that there was definitely a series of cliques and the team was primarily run by the French boys," Kenyon told the commission.