I would pay to go and watch him - Rio Ferdinand praises Chelsea magician

As Chelsea prepares for the 2025/26 Premier League season under head coach Enzo Maresca, former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he will attend a Chelsea game because Cole Palmer.

Rio Ferdinand's statement comes in the wake of a resurgent 2024/25 campaign that saw Chelsea finish fourth in the league and lift both the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Maresca is eyeing back-to-back top-four finishes, but with a squad packed with young, hungry talent, many fans and pundits believe the Blues could be dark horses in the title race.

During an episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents, co-host Joel Baya called Palmer his “favourite player in the Premier League," a statement Ferdinand fully endorsed with high praise of his own.

“He would be up there for me as well… [Mohamed] Salah is the better player and he’s done all this. There are a couple of other players you put that are better and have done more, but this player would make me pay to go and watch football more," Ferdinand said.

"I would pay to go and watch Cole Palmer probably before anyone in the game in England at the moment," the former Manchester United man added.

Cole Palmer, now 23, has become a central figure in Chelsea’s new era since his move from Manchester City in 2023.

His stats speak for themselves: 43 goals and 29 assists in 97 appearances for the Blues.