Former Gunner tells Arsenal target to stay put

Paul Merson has claimed that Gabriel Jesus should not leave Manchester City for Arsenal, claiming that ‘Pep Guardiola trusts him’.

The Gunners are expected to add at least one new forward to their attack this summer, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah into the final months of their current contracts.

While our interest in City’s Jesus was seemingly confirmed last weekend, Paul Merson doesn’t believe he should make the move to the Emirates, and should stay with his current side.

‘Gabriel Jesus should stay at Manchester City. There’s speculation about his future and people think he’s unhappy he doesn’t play enough – but he’s started 17 Premier League games this season,’ Merson wrote for his column in the Daily Star.

‘I think that’s a lot. He’s played 36 times for City this season. And started a lot of big, big games. Where is he going to go where he can do any better than that?

‘Even if City sign Erling Haaland, he shouldn’t leave. No way. This is a team that is going to go deep in four competitions every year and he will always get games.

‘Pep Guardiola trusts him. He misses a lot of chances but you can play him anywhere in the forward line and he always keeps trying to get in there.

‘He still has a big role to play this season. I don’t think Haaland would play a huge amount more than that if he goes there.”

While Gabriel may have played a fair chunk of football this season, the arrival of Julian Alvarez as well as the possible signing of Erling Haaland must be set to disrupt that.

While he has shined of late, I’m not sure he is the forward who is going to take us to the next level though. I would hope that an out-and-out striker would be coming in also, although there is likely more to come from 25 year-old also.

Could Pep Guardiola be forced to reconsider his plans with Jesus given his recent form?

Patrick