Tottenham Hotspur need a left back. Ashley Cole is out of contract at Chelsea, and the Blues won't be bringing him back to Stamford Bridge next season. That means Cole is going to have a lot of suitors, and Spurs appear to be one of them. Goal.com also say that MLS clubs are in for Cole. According to The Guardian, Cole is wanted by as many as eight clubs.
Someone is absolutely going to offer him more money for his services than Tottenham will. But that doesn't mean they're out of the running. It's all down to what Cole wants.
If he wants an entirely new kind of challenge, a new place to live and something not necessarily as competitive as he's used to, he can make his way to the United States, China or the Middle East. Those leagues are no cakewalk these days, but it's not insulting to say that the standard of play is lower than at the highest level in Europe.
If he wants as much money as possible, he can go to PSG or Monaco. While PSG are under financial fair play sanctions and Monaco are working on getting hit with some of their own next year, they'll have no problem giving massive wages to someone who arrives on a free transfer. Plus, he'll get to play Champions League with either of them.
If he wants to keep playing Champions League football and stay in England, Cole can head to Liverpool, where he'll become their first choice left back overnight. It's not a bad gig.
But don't assume Cole doesn't have a strong desire to stay in London. Maybe that's all he cares about at this point in his career. Maybe he'd have other motivations for going to Spurs, or another club in England that isn't Liverpool or Chelsea.
I don't believe that Cole will end up at Spurs, but it's worth considering that he might not be motivated by the same things a 25-year-old who hasn't won anything, at a medium-sized club would have. Cole's made tons of money and won everything there is to win. Don't assume any team is out of the running.