Jeff Stelling has criticized Rio Ferdinand for his remarks regarding Mikel Arteta’s potential move from Arsenal to Manchester United, dismissing them as mere clickbait. Stelling emphasized that not everyone falls for such tactics and urged Ferdinand to recognize that fact.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Stelling expressed his skepticism about Ferdinand’s claims, particularly noting that they were made on Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, which often seeks attention through sensational headlines. Stelling remarked:
“There’s another Arsenal story circulating today. Rio Ferdinand has been quoted as saying Mikel Arteta would unquestionably accept an offer to manage Manchester United.
Now, Rio made these statements, unsurprisingly, on his YouTube channel. It seems like classic clickbait, Rio. But not everyone is easily fooled, my friend. “In response, Ally McCoist defended Ferdinand, asserting:
“That’s my buddy you’re talking about. He wouldn’t do that, Jeff.”
However, Stelling remained adamant in his stance, retorting:
“Oh, come on, that’s utter nonsense. We may be susceptible, but we’re not that gullible.”
Meanwhile, Arteta’s future remains uncertain, with ongoing contract negotiations at Arsenal and speculation linking him to Barcelona as a potential successor to Xavi, according to reports in SPORT.