Rio Ferdinand to Chelsea?

By Chris O'Brien
March 22 2004

United's disgraced defender Rio Ferdinand has been linked with a move to big-spending Chelsea, who are expected to stage another pre-season spending spree when the transfer window re-opens. Sir Alex Ferguson has a history of selling players who have brought the club down through foolish actions.

Another amazing rumour has surfaced once again involving big-spending Chelsea. Roman Abramovich is believed to be lining up a bid for Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand for when the transfer window re-opens, despite the defender banned from playing association football until September after the England international missed a random drugs test.

The London outfit have been linked with a £30million move for the troubled defender to bolster their squad as they look to continue their aims of buying silverware. With money not an object, should the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea want the defender, he will almost certainly get him, and with Ferdinand not exactly top dog at Old Trafford the club might want to get rid of the player whose stupidity in missing the drugs test is partly to blame for United's dip in form recently.

The £30million Sir Alex Ferguson forked out to Leeds United for Rio Ferdinand has come under scrutiny from Reds supporters, and if he could re-coup a similar fee for the defender then it would probably be seen as good business. The partnership of England duo Rio Ferdinand and John Terry does look formidable on paper, so the rumours that Chelsea are interested in the 25-year-old are not exactly unrealistic.

Sir Alex Ferguson's history of players who have brought the club down through foolish actions or living superstar lifestyles is clear. Dwight Yorke and David Beckham were both sold after letting their private lives interfere with football, and although the Scotsman has stuck by Rio during his hearing and the appeal that followed, he will undoubtedly be angry with the former West Ham United centre-half and probably wouldn't be reluctant to sell him on if the opportunity arose.

United's defence this season has been poor, and is the main reason behind why we are currently 12 points of the pace in the Premiership. Ferguson has been linked with a number of defenders over the past few months including Manchester City's on-loan star Daniel van Buyten, who dealt with Ruud Van Nistelrooy very well in the recently derby match, and a substantial fee that the club could receive through selling Ferdinand could be used in re-building our backline.