Rio Ferdinand admits he’s “surprised” by one part of Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea move

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·18 Mei 2026

Rio Ferdinand admits he’s “surprised” by one part of Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea move

Chelsea landed Xabi Alonso as their new manager against the odds, and Rio Ferdinand has been talking about how they did it.

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Xabi Alonso is confirmed as the new Chelsea manager and fans are understandably excited. On his podcast today, Rio Ferdinand was talking about what a coup it was for the Blues to land the top manager out there this summer.

Ferdinand “surprised” by Alonso decision

“I’m actually surprised he’s gone there. I’m not saying he’s the wrong choice,” Ferdinand said.

“The reason is because I thought he would have been patient enough to wait and see how the Arne Slot situation at Liverpool would play out. But Chelsea have acted quickly, they’ve probably put something in front of him with some big numbers as well that has turned his head and he’s just thought, ‘I’m going to go for it’.”

We thought the same thing, really. Everyone expected Alonso to Liverpool, and when it became clear that the Reds really were going to stick with Slot, this superb opportunity opened up.

We don’t know quite how Chelsea persuaded him to make the jump, but however they managed it it’s a major coup, and one we hope really pays off.