"He’s playing like he’s in the cage” - Rio Ferdinand feels 'mad player' could be ideal Granit Xhaka replacement for Arsenal

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze could do well in Granit Xhaka's role at Arsenal.

Eze, 24, has been brilliant for Palace in their last couple of games in which they've beaten Leeds United and Southampton. The English midfielder has scored three of the Eagles' seven goals in the last two games.

Eze has been deployed in multiple positions this season, including left-wing and midfield. However, he seems to be thriving in the central midfield position, from where he has scored five goals in nine appearances. Ferdinand believes that the Palace man could potentially replace Xhaka at Arsenal.

On his Vibe with Five podcast, he said (via Caught Offside):

"Smooth. If you’re talking about about one of the smoothest ballers in the game, in the Premier League right now, Eze’s up there. Mad player. He’s playing like he’s in the cage."

Ferdinand added:

"Just smooth, man. He doesn’t seem fazed either. Every situation you put him in, he’s just calm. And he’s in that position where he turns and faces up midfielders or defenders; he can go past people, slip people in and finish. He’d be good at Arsenal, you know. In the [Granit] Xhaka position. Another year."

Eze joined Crystal Palace from Queens Park Rangers in 2020 and has since registered 12 goals and 10 assists in 86 appearances.

Xhaka, meanwhile, has seen a resurgence at Arsenal this season. He has contributed five goals and five assists in 31 Premier League appearances as they currently sit atop the table.

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Granit Xhaka denies Mikel Arteta's mindset claim after Arsenal's draw against West Ham United

The Gunners threw away a two-goal lead against West Ham United away in the Premier League on April 16, drawing 2-2. This came after their 2-2 draw against Liverpool, where they also failed to hold on to a 2-0 advantage.

After the West Ham game, manager Mikel Arteta was critical of his side's mindset, explaining that they need to learn to kill games off. Granit Xhaka, however, has claimed that Arsenal's mentality is not to blame for their two draws. He said (via GOAL):

"This is not about our mentality and I am certain everyone will see a reaction against Southampton on Friday. Everything is still in our own hands if we win our remaining games, so nothing has changed on that front. We go into our next matches with the same objective, we’re not looking at what Manchester City are doing."

The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Manchester City in the title race, having played one more game. The two sides are set to face off at the Etihad Stadium on April 26.