Paul Merson has claimed that Arsenal are not serious about returning to the top four if they do not sign Gabriel Jesus.
The Gunners are believed to have made the Brazilian their priority signing this summer as they look to fill the hole left by the departures of both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
We still appear to be leading the race for his signature, but with the deal taking an extended amount of time to get done it feels agonisingly less likely to get done, although there is nothing at present which tells us things are fizzling out.
With our intentions to make him our new front man seemingly obvious, former Gunner Merson now believes that it would show that we aren’t serious about mounting a serious challenge for the CL places if we failed to secure his signature now.
“Arsenal must get Gabriel Jesus if they are serious about getting back into the top four,” he told DailyStar readers.
“They have got to get him. It’s that simple. Everything goes out of the window if they don’t. It doesn’t matter what else they do.”
Merson goes onto be as bold as to claim that he would ‘transform Arsenal’, bringing hunger and a bit selfishness that they need.
“I think he is good enough to transform Arsenal,” he added. “He doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Yes, he does miss chances but he never goes hiding and he’s a centre forward who is desperate to score goals. He has that hunger and a little bit of a selfish streak and you need that.”
I don’t think I’d go as far as to claim that we aren’t serious if we don’t wrap this up, because I have no doubt that we would be looking at alternatives who could well be better for what we are building under Mikel Arteta.
Jesus could well have more to offer than he has been able to show under Pep Guardiola, but at present I’m not wholly convinced that he is the perfect striker to take us to that next level. Arteta clearly believes that he is however, so at this point if the club cannot get this done, it is definitely telling.
Patrick
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