Rio Ferdinand says there’s one thing he ‘can’t wait’ for Eberechi Eze to do after signing for Arsenal

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Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he cannot wait to watch Eberechi Eze in action for Arsenal this season.

Arsenal signed Eze from Crystal Palace for £67.5 million in August, adding the Englishman to Mikel Arteta’s ranks to compete with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the left wing.

The 27-year-old was handed his debut in red and white on Sunday against Liverpool, although he was granted just 20 minutes off the bench.

Many felt Eze should’ve started at Anfield, although he now has an entire season to express himself at the Emirates and make the left-wing position his own.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Rio Ferdinand says he can’t wait to see Eberechi Eze play against Tottenham away

Arsenal hijacked Tottenham’s move for Eze, jumping in at the eleventh hour to steal the Hale End academy product away from the Lilywhites.

The England international had been Spurs-bound, but swiftly opted for a move to N5 after hearing of the Gunners’ interest.

A boyhood Arsenal fan, the transfer was arguably the most romantic of the summer.

Arteta’s team visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February, and Rio Ferdinand cannot wait to see Eze in action against the club he almost joined, on their home soil.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Eze,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.

“I think Pedro is going to be the best value [transfer of the summer]. Joao Pedro at Chelsea, out of all the transfers.

“But Eze, it’s that story isn’t it? That Arsenal fan who agreed to go to Spurs, he almost got into Spurs.

“They almost had him, he goes then to Arsenal. I’d love him to start dominating and doing his thing, and I can’t wait until he goes to White Hart Lane. Yeah man, it’s been a crazy window.”

What will Eberechi Eze bring to Arsenal’s attack?

Arsenal’s attack has been somewhat sterile in the past 12 months.

The Gunners have become laborious in their build-up play, with Arteta placing a great emphasis on control rather than penetration.

Eze will help change this, livening up the North Londoners’ attack with his creativity and direct dribbling.

As shown by the data above, the creative midfielder’s numbers highlight how willing he is to take shots and to take people on.

These are two things Arsenal lacked last season, and he will provide them in abundance. Identifying these deficiencies in Arteta’s team and finding someone like Eze who can negate these issues represents excellent recruitment from the Gunners.