The relationship between Arsenal and Ashley Cole has plunged to an all-time low as the Premier League's tapping 'inquiry' drew to a close.

Cole is reportedly upset with his club's position during the inquiry, as vice-chairman David Dein appeared as a prosecution witness, actually testifying against the player.

The England ace apparently wanted the verdict delivered as soon as possible, but his club applied for adjournement. As a result, judgement will only be heard on June 1.

Cole appeared at the inquiry on Wednesday, but he is clearly so incensed with the matter that he watched proceedings of his own free will on Thursday.

Contract negotiations with the defender broke down this week, with his club and agent clearly at loggerheads.

Wenger clearly feels the agent, Jonathan Barnett is the cause of the problems. "I'm more concerned that the agent will try to move Ashley than us not wanting to talk to his agent. On our side, we have no problem with speaking to him and signing a contract, but what the agent will want to do, I don't know."

Cole's legal team claim that the club failed to fulfil their promise of a £60,000 a week deal. They assert that the offer was reduced to £55,000 a week, on the instruction of Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood.

The England international rejected the deal much to the infuriation of his chairman. Hill-Wood revealed: "If you take someone like Ashley Cole, he has another two years to go. He wanted something like three times what we are paying him. We said we can't do that."

The Arsenal chairman believes the club must keep a firm lid on player wages, with Edu having left because the board would not meet his wage demands.

He told the Evening Standard: "The Bosman system has meant that the power is really in the hands of the players and their agents now."

Wenger meanwhile maintains that didn't renege on any agreement he had with Cole.

"You could maybe find us guilty as we didn't find an agreement with Ashley Cole's agent. But that happens in every story and it's sometimes a question of time," he said last month.

"What have we done wrong? I've been at Arsenal for nine years and how can you believe that I would renege on a deal? It's not true.

"Ashley Cole was never in that meeting. It is just a statement made by an agent, that's all."

A deal with the Blues no longer seems likely, but the Frenchman fears Cole's agent will seek another offer this summer - whatever the outcome of the Premier League hearing.

As the relationship between the player and his employers continues to deteriorate, the chances of Cole leaving Highbury in the near future are looking more and more likely.