Paul Merson feels Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus are not good enough to help Arsenal win major titles and that the Gunners should push for Ivan Toney.
Football pundit Paul Merson is not happy with Arsenal’s performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby. The 55-year-old believes the Gunners should have won that game, and he even said that Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus are not good enough to be leading the lines. Merson feels his former club should go after the services of Ivan Toney.
Last season, Arsenal were in the Premier League title race right until the end. But, they ended up falling short. Post that, they have added quite a few world-class players to the mix as they look to push for the league title under Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners want to win the Premier League this season. But as things stand, that looks unlikely. After their 2-2 draw in the North London derby, they are already four points behind league leaders Manchester City. And, their former player Merson believes they do not have the quality up top to win the league.
He believes Arsenal need to sign a quality striker to stand a chance of winning the English top-flight title. Merson said that Eddie Nketiah is not going to help the Gunners win the league and believes even Gabriel Jesus can’t take them to the next level.
Merson said via Sky Sports, “I’ve always said it from day one – Eddie Nketiah is not going to win you the Premier League. You need a proper centre forward. I’m not blaming Nketiah because they drew 2-2 with Tottenham but with 32 games to go and all the Champions League games they have to play, I don’t think he takes them to the next level. I don’t even think Gabriel Jesus takes them to the next level.”
The 55-year-old went ahead and even suggested that Arsenal should go after the services of Ivan Toney. The England international will return from his ban in January, and he will most likely force a move to a bigger club in the winter transfer market.
Merson added, “Toney is a good player – he can hold the ball up, he’s good in the air. Arsenal might have to go for him. But there are not a million centre forwards around.”
With not many top-class strikers available Merson feels Arsenal should consider signing the 27-year-old Brentford number nine. He is someone who uses his physical abilities to hold up the ball, he is good in the air and in simple terms, Toney is a classic striker who can help the Gunners’ cause.
If Arsenal end up pushing for the 27-year-old, they will have to battle it out with Chelsea for his services. The Blues have been interested in his services of late. They do not have a proven goal scorer in their ranks and in desperate need of a new striker. Mauricio Pochettino’s men are expected to go all out for his services.
