BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal have an exciting crop of youngsters coming through the ranks at the Emirates.

The former England international named four players, in particular, who are likely to make the grade with the Gunners:

“The young kids there, Saka is 18 years old! Martinelli is a stand out for me. Reiss Nelson, who has been on loan, Joe Willock I think has a huge future too.”

Ferdinand’s praise for Martinelli isn’t surprising but his special mention for Willock is likely to cause more debate among fans who feel that the midfielder has been rather inconsistent in his performances for the first team.

Bukayo Saka has, however, been a revelation at left-back while Reiss Nelson showed what he could do with an impressive display against Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Monday night.

The future does certainly look bright for some of Arsenal’s young stars but the task now will be to translate that promise into results out on the pitch, week in, week out. Head coach Mikel Arteta will certainly relish the challenge of helping these players realise their potential.