Rio Ferdinand says Arsenal have a 22-year-old whose mentality is truly elite

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Rio Ferdinand has praised Arsenal star Bukayo Saka for his mentality, deeming him “so, so focused”.

Ferdinand, speaking on Vibe With FIVE, says the Gunners star’s mindset is such that he’ll become “as good as footballer as he can be”.

Saka has been on a steady upward trajectory for years now, and this season he’s very much moving up into the ranks of being world-class.

At just 22 years of age, Saka has already made 216 competitive appearances for Arsenal, plus 32 caps for England.

This season, the Hale End graduate has made 37 appearances for the Gunners, registering 13 goals and 10 assists.

Saka is also extremely likely to be on the England squad plane for Euro 2024 this summer, where the Three Lions will go one better than three years ago.

On the latest episode of FIVE, Ferdinand and his co-hosts – plus special guest Headie One – discussed a number of top players past and present.

On the subject of Saka, Ferdinand said: “I think Saka, mentally, just looks like he is so, so, focused and so… we ain’t seen a blip in Saka yet, that tells me that there’s something behind just the performance.

“There’s something about Saka’s whole make-up. Forget his footballing ability, you could argue one way or the other, but I think his mentality looks like he’s just really, really made out just to be as good a footballer as he can be.”

Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka on the brink of being ‘world-class’?

Rio Ferdinand caused a bit of a stir a few weeks ago when he said Saka could not yet be described as world-class.

“He hasn’t done it in the Champions League, has he? I’m talking in the nitty-gritty stages,” Ferdinand said on Vibe with FIVE. “Saka’s top, don’t get me wrong. He’s not world-class yet.”

Although Ferdinand still seems to be sticking to his guns, he’s made clear he rates Saka highly, and it’s nice to hear him speak highly of the Gunners man once again.

Maybe over the summer, if all goes well for Saka with Arsenal and England, Ferdinand may change his mind? You never know.