Ferdinand keeps United fans guessing

RIO FERDINAND will finally get a chance to play in an FA Cup final next month — but doubts over his long-term future at Manchester United still remain.

Despite Chelsea’s previous denial, Alex Ferguson has already revealed his fears over the unscheduled meeting between Ferdinand, his advisor Pini Zahavi and Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon.

So it is unlikely a second statement from Stamford Bridge in the wake of fresh revelations about the time Ferdinand spent with Kenyon last Saturday will have done much to appease the wily Scot.

At the very least questions are being asked over how Kenyon found himself with Ferdinand in public, less than a fortnight after Chelsea were charged by the Premier League for making an alleged illegal approach for Arsenal full-back Ashley Cole.

“As far as Chelsea is concerned, our position is completely unchanged,” said an official statement issued by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

“We have made it absolutely clear to Manchester United, on more than one occasion now, that we have no interest in signing Rio Ferdinand and, regardless of where this encounter took place, there is absolutely no significance in Peter Kenyon seeing Rio.

“As already stated, their meeting was purely by chance in a very public place.”

It is not thought United are interested in pursuing the matter with the Premier League as Arsenal have done with Cole.

However, even if Chelsea are genuinely not interested in one of the world’s top defenders, the meeting could still be seen as a cynical ploy by the Ferdinand camp to exploit on-going contract negotiations with United to try to ensure the biggest rise possible.

There have been suggestions Ferdinand is demanding £100,000-a-week to stay with the Old Trafford outfit, with Zahavi stating last week his client would consider leaving for nothing in 2007 should negotiations not prove fruitful. As well as causing Ferguson immense irritation, reports of the meeting, which came hours after Ferdinand had been part of the United side which embarrassingly lost at Norwich, have been greeted with fury by sections of the Red Devils support.

Many have never totally forgiven the £29million former Leeds star for missing the fateful drug test that landed him with a massive nine-month suspension.

They believe it is time for Ferdinand to commit his future to Old Trafford.

In the wake of his side’s 4-1 win over Newcastle yesterday, Ferguson revealed a deal was close with the man he has earmarked as a potential successor to Roy Keane as club captain.

At least Ferdinand has something to look forward to at the end of this season after missing out on the final victory over Millwall last term.

The 26-year-old turned in his usual solid performance in blotting out Alan Shearer at the Millennium Stadium, ensuring a campaign which threatened to turn into a disaster will at least remain alive until the final game.

“Our whole season rested on yesterday’s game,” Ferdinand told MUTV.

“We are way behind in the championship race and out of Europe, but we know we are capable of winning the FA Cup and it is down to us to do it. I think most fans wanted to see us play Arsenal in the final. We have played them three times already this season and won them all, so we want to repeat those results.”