Roman Abramovich refused to sell any of his Chelsea stars to rivals Tottenham – and blocked Carlton Cole’s switch.

The former Blues striker revealed the Russian oligarch – who bought the West Londoners in 2003 – would not sanction any deal with Spurs.

Cole, speaking on talkSPORT, said: “I almost joined Spurs. I went and did my medical and everything.

“Roman Abramovich found out and he said ‘you’ve got to come back, you’re not joining them’.

“He said ‘you can’t go to Spurs, I don’t do business with them.’”

Cole added that Abramovich said: “‘I’ve got an alternative for you’. I drive back to Stamford Bridge with my uncle and my dad.

“He had his interpreter with him. Roman Abramovich was there, we were talking.

“I was saying ‘where am I going?’

“He said, ‘I will give you a new contract but you’ve got to go to CSKA Moscow. His other team.

“I was trying to get into the England team. Those days you could not go abroad. If you go abroad you don’t get in the England team.

“So I said to him, ‘I ain’t going to CSKA Moscow, pal.”