Ashley Cole earning less than £4,000 a week at LA Galaxy due to bumper pay deals of former Premier League stars Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane

Ashley Cole arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday as the former Chelsea and Roma defender joined the influx of big stars to the MLS.

The 35-year-old will link up with former England team-mate Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy after the defender's contract with Roma was terminated by mutual consent.

But Cole has had to take a huge pay cut to join the Galaxy with the Los Angeles Times reporting that he will be paid £206,000 ($300,000) a year or £3,966 a week.

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Ashley Cole will be paid just £4,000 by LA Galaxy, but is still being paid by his former club Roma

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 Cole, who was once famously left 'trembling with anger' at a contract offer, will take a major salary cut

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Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole pictured at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Wednesday

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The 35-year-old will link up with former England team-mate Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy

COLE'S SALARY PROBLEMS

When he was an Arsenal player Ashley Cole famously almost crashed his car when he was offered 'only' £55,000-a-week. Cole and his agent Jonathan Barnett thought he should have been given a £60,000 contract.

Cole later wrote in his book: 'When I heard Jonathan repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road. “He is taking the piss, Jonathan!” I yelled down the phone. 

'I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. I suppose it all started to fall apart for me from then on.'

Cole would leave to join London rivals Chelsea, and became a figure of hate for Arsenal fans. 

Cole does not arrive as a designated player because Roma will continue to pay the majority of Cole's salary over the next five months, but only after agreeing a considerable pay cut. 

Cole infamously once claimed he left 'trembling with anger' when he was told that Arsenal had offered him a £55,000-a-week deal in 2006.

In his prime he was earning around £200,000 a week at Chelsea but had to take a cut to £35,000 a week to join Roma in 2014. 

And he has had to accept a relatively modest salary in order to get his career back on track in America after falling out of favour at Roma. 

Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Giovani dos Santos are the Galaxy's three designated players, which means they get bumper pay deals above the American league’s salary cap. 

Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong and Standard Liege defender Jelle Van Damme have also had to take pay cuts to join the Galaxy. 

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Ashley Cole with then-wife Cheryl, shortly before leaving Arsenal for Chelsea in 2006

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Ashley and Cheryl together while he was a Chelsea player, celebrating her 26th birthday

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Cole has had to take a huge pay cut to join the Galaxy after falling out of favour at Italian side Roma

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Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Giovani dos Santos are the Galaxy's three designated players

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Striker Robbie Keane receives a bumper pay deal above the American league’s salary cap

Cole and Van Damme are set to be unveiled by the Galaxy at a press conference at the StubHub Center on Friday.

The Galaxy kick off the 2016 season against DC United on March 6. 

WHAT IS A 'DESIGNATED PLAYER' IN MLS? 

MLS teams have a salary cap to prevent teams spending too much on wages, currently at around $3.5m/season (£2.4m). Individual players are limited to £300,000 a year.

However, to allow franchises to sign top players, three from each club are allowed to be paid significantly more. This rule was brought in to help LA Galaxy sign David Beckham, and is therefore known as 'The Beckham rule'.

Galaxy's three players are currently Robbie Keane (£3m/year), Steven Gerrard (£4.3m/year) and Giovani dos Santos (£2.8m/year).

Kaka is the most expensive designated player in the league, costing Orlando City (£4.9m/year)