Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal ‘are bang in trouble’ if they lose Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Mikel Arteta’s side are in the running to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and they moved level on points with fifth-placed West Ham, who have played three games more, with a 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday.
Smith Rowe scored his ninth Premier League goal of the season in that victory, while Saka was also on target.
Ferdinand predicts both players will be targeted by ‘big clubs’ in the summer window but has praised Arteta for creating an environment which has allowed the two Arsenal academy graduates to shine.
‘What I liked about this weekend is that all the teams going for fourth, bar West Ham, got positive results,’ Ferdinand told Vibe with Five.
‘You’ve got to perform now. Spurs won a game you didn’t expect them to win, Arsenal won and United won. I think it’s going to be out of those three to finish fourth.
‘West Ham will put up a fight but come up a bit short just because of the [lack of] depth in their squad… but they’ll finish above Arsenal.
‘I think Saka and Smith Rowe, if anything happens to them they [Arsenal] are bang in trouble.
‘ESR is doing his thing, I’ve loved him from the beginning of the season. I think he’s one other big clubs will be looking at.
‘I think Mikel Arteta is building something there, all jokes aside.
‘Mikel Arteta is creating an environment there that I feel players are going to want to play in.
‘I feel the young players he’s got there who he’s building around are exciting.
‘I think this window is going to be big for them, they’ve got to get it right, it depends where they finish and what type of player they’re going to have to go for.’
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