New Xabi Alonso Admits his Love for Chelsea

Real Sociedad playmaker Ruben Pardo, who is known as the new Xabi Alonso, has admitted that he is a Chelsea fan.

The creative midfielder has taken part in a digital interview for Spanish magazine AS and shown his passion for the Premier League and especially the West London Team.

When an AS reader asked Pardo if he would like to play in England and which club he would prefer, he showed his admiration for Jose Mourinho's team.

"I support Chelsea a little bit. The Premier League is a tournament that I really like but now I am not thinking about playing there, I'm happy at Real".

Pardo, who is 21, is one of the most talented players in Spain's La Liga and experts compare him with Xabi Alonso due to his position on the pitch and because they both started their careers at Sociedad.

However Pardo was quick to play down the comparisons, saying "I love Xabi [Alonso] but to compare myself with him is too much."

The midfielder is also one of the biggest assets of the Spanish Under-21 national team. With La Roja he has already won the Under-17 European Championship in 2009 and the Under-19 equivalent in 2011.

Real Madrid tried to sign Pardo after his starring role in that Under-19 European Championship, and have been monitoring his situation since then. The Bernabeu giants wanted him as a long-term replacement for Alonso,but their interest has waned since last summer when they signed Asier Illarramendi, another former Sociedad player.