Lee Dixon believes Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen should remain at the club this summer.
The Belgian centre-back lost his place in the Gunners side to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, prompting speculation that he could be on the way out of the Emirates Stadium.
But Dixon has urged him to stay and push for first team selection as his presence will force plenty of competition at Arsenal.
"I think he [Vermaelen] should stay and fight for his place," Dixon told Sky Sports News. "We are now starting to see the fruits of (defensive coach) Steve Bould's work over this last year.
"They were a lot more solid towards the end of the season and I think he can benefit from that because he's a great defender but as a team defender I think he's got things to learn and that's where Steve's knowledge will be utilised."
