Manchester United hero Rio Ferdinand believes Ben White will turn out to be a ‘decent signing’ for Arsenal but says he needs more help at the Emirates after being ‘exposed’ during the defeat to Brentford.
White endured a miserable Premier League debut for the Gunners, struggling against Brentford’s Ivan Toney as the top-flight newcomers clinched a 2-0 victory over Mikel Arteta’s side.
The likes of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher raised concerns over £50m signing White following the defeat and Ferdinand admits the England international needs help to be a success.
However, the former Manchester United and England defender is still backing White to be a ‘decent signing’ for Arsenal.
Ferdinand told the FIVE YouTube channel: ‘The issue I have with Arsenal is you can’t buy players for a year down the line. Ben White is good now but what you need is someone to come in and grab the players in the training ground.
‘I feel that at this stage of his career, Ben White needs a partner to bring him a lot, like a Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane or Thiago Silva.
‘Arsenal have needed a centre-back to come in and defend. Ben White will end up being a decent signing but the biggest issue he’s got is if I was being courted with Arsenal now I’d think, “who am I playing with?”
‘If I’m him I’m thinking, “I need some help, I’m getting exposed”.’
On Arsenal’s defeat to Brentford, Ferdinand added: ‘The way that Arsenal performed, I heard Ian Wright criticising the intensity and I would have been as well if it was my club.
‘The first day of the season, fans back in the stadium, and you lack intensity. That doesn’t add up. This is more than individual performance, this is a culture at a football club.
‘You can’t go into the first game of the season like that. You should be bouncing into that game.’
The Gunners finished eighth in the Premier League last season and Ferdinand ‘feels for Arsenal fans’ as there is ‘quite a lot wrong’ at the club.
‘I feel for Arsenal fans, there’s no easy answers,’ he added. ‘There’s quite a lot wrong there at the moment. I hope Arteta gets it right.
‘Just build around Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka. Joe Willock scored goals last season and they’ve let him go, I was baffled by that one.’
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