“He’s not better” - Rio Ferdinand insists 25-year-old Arsenal star will not get into Manchester United team
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recently made a bold claim that Arsenal right-back Ben White will not get into his Red Devils team. The former England defender argued that Erik ten Hag currently has two players in that position at Old Trafford who are superior to the Gunners' star.
Rio Ferdinand made the remark during a session on the SDS YouTube channel where he tried to form a combined XI of Manchester United and Arsenal players.
While most of his picks were impartial, the former center-back raised some controversy as he attempted to overlook Ben White for the right-back spot.
Rio Ferdinand highlights major issue Arsenal have with "wet behind the ears" Ben White
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Explaining his decision, Rio Ferdinand stated that the Gunners full-back isn't better than United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot. He also added that while the Englishman might be ahead of the latter defensively, he clearly loses the battle when it comes to their contributions in the offensive half of the pitch.
“He’s not better than the two right-backs at Man United," the Red Devils legend stated. "No, not for me [he wasn’t second best in the Premier League]. I thought Ben White was solid but that’s it. I think that’s the one area of their team where you look and think there is room for a lot of improvement there if they are going to challenge for more."
“White may be better defensively, but I think going forward Dalot is better than him,” he added.
Rio Ferdinand's take will definitely not sit well with many Premier League fans. Ben White was simply amazing last season, featuring in all of Arsenal's 38 games in the English top flight. He scored two goals and provided five assists to help the Gunners challenge for the title.
Manchester United's two right-backs meanwhile, could only finish the term with a combined one goal and two assists in the English top division. This shows why Ferdinand might need a rethink over his opinion.
Who will Manchester United and Arsenal face in their Premier League openers?
After finishing as runners-up last season, Arsenal will get the chance to relaunch their bid to claim the English crown this term when the Premier League officially returns next weekend. In their opening game, Mikel Arteta's men will face Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on August 12.
Manchester United, meanwhile, will play their first league game of the campaign against Wolves at Old Trafford on August 14. Erik ten Hag's men will also be looking forward to doing better after finishing third on the table last term.
It remains to be seen if both teams can get themselves off to a perfect start by winning their opening games come next weekend.