Ferdinand says 'nice guys don't win' after Isak transfer saga

Sweden's forward Alexander Isak attends a training session with Sweden's national team in Boson in Lidingo on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden, on September 2, 2025. [AFP]

Players should not be vilified for forcing through transfer moves, former England star Rio Ferdinand told AFP on Wednesday following the Alexander Isak saga, adding: "Nice guys don't win."

Isak is public enemy number one at Newcastle United after making it clear that he did not want to play for the club again as he attempted to engineer a move to Liverpool.

The Swedish striker got his wish by sealing a British-record PS125 million ($167 million) switch to the Premier League champions on Monday.

England defender Marc Guehi however saw his move to Liverpool break down after Crystal Palace vetoed his sale at the last minute.

In contrast to the bitter Isak saga, Guehi earned plaudits for continuing to play and perform for Palace despite Liverpool's advances.

"Nice guys don't win," former England and Manchester United defender Ferdinand said on the sidelines of the World Football Summit in Hong Kong.

"The clubs get away with murder in these situations. How many players down the years were denied a move because the clubs said it wasn't this and it wasn't that? Being greedy.

"But players get vilified when they say, 'It's a great offer, it's a load of money, why aren't you letting me go? I want to go to a club that's winning trophies.'"

Ferdinand, who moved from Leeds to Manchester United in 2002 for a then-British record fee, added: "Marc Guehi's not been able to go and everyone's going, 'Great, brilliant.'

"But what if Liverpool don't buy him now? Or he gets injured, he never gets to that point and he never gets a chance to win trophies?

"People wonder why players sometimes get bolshie and get their elbows out and say, 'No, I need to go.'

"I just think it's business. Players shouldn't get vilified -- clubs aren't and it should be equal."

Tuchel 'needs time'

The 25-year-old Guehi, who could yet move to Liverpool next summer after his Palace contract expires, is in the England squad for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia over the next week.

Ferdinand, who won the Champions League and six Premier Leagues with United, fears England are struggling for depth in central defence.

"I'm not saying the quality is really bad, but there's not enough," said the 46-year-old, who made 81 appearances for his country in that position.

"You've got Marc Guehi and John Stones, and then after that you're going... who else is there really?"

England under boss Thomas Tuchel are yet to really impress since the German started in the role at the beginning of the year with the remit of lifting the World Cup.

But Ferdinand said the only thing that matters is what happens at the tournament in North America in June-July.

"It's a work in progress and I don't think we should expect miracles immediately. We don't want miracles now, you want miracles in the summer," he said.

"Even if there's a stuttering period now and things aren't going perfectly well, it's not panic stations."

He added: "This is a getting-to-know-you period for the manager and the players.

"He needs time with the players to get to know who's who and who gels well."