Paul Merson has urged Arsenal to avoid paying over the odds for a stop-gap centre-forward and instead pursue a move for Wolves star Matheus Cunha.
Arsenal have been forced to turn to the January transfer market in light of Gabriel Jesus’ recent season-ending injury and Mikel Arteta has confirmed the club’s hierarchy will be doing everything in their power to strengthen.
The Spaniard is eager to bring in support for Kai Havertz in preparation for a potential title charge in the second half of the campaign and a number of high-profile attackers have been linked.
The north Londoners have been credited with an interest in the likes of Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, though time is fast running out for deals to be done.
Cunha is another player who has long been on Arsenal’s radar and talk of a move to the Emirates intensified this week after the Brazilian’s body language was criticised by newly appointed Wolves manager Vitor Pereira.
Nottingham Forest are also believed to be weighing up a bid for the £60million-rated Cunha but ex-Arsenal midfielder Merson, speaking on Sky Sports News this morning, talked up a potential switch to the Emirates.
‘Buying a centre-forward in January, you’re buying someone for the next five years. You’re not buying someone for the next six months, it’s going to be for the next four or five years,’ Merson said.
‘I’d go and buy Cunha, I’d go and get Cunha, because I see that as an all-round package where he can play there for the next five years.
‘I think they’ve got to wait for the centre-forward, don’t rush into that.
‘If Liverpool’s game in hand was now and they won it, Arsenal would be near-on ten points behind… do you have a panic and buy a centre-forward for £70-80m, give them massive wages?
‘You’re not going to win the league this year so you might as well keep your powder dry, hold back and go and get the right person in the summer.’
Merson is confident Cunha has more than enough quality to play for Arsenal and believes the forward’s game is well suited to how the Gunners play under Mikel Arteta.
‘They will need a centre-forward in the summer but I would go and get Cunha,’ he added.
‘I think he suits Arsenal, I think he has that guile about him, he’s good in tight spaces, he can beat players.
‘When you’re at Arsenal, most of the time you’re playing against ten at the back and, at Wolves, teams have a go at you, but I do like Cunha.’
According to Merson, Arsenal may be better off prioritising the Champions League if ‘it gets to a stage where Liverpool are uncatchable’ in the Premier League.
‘It’s brilliant what they’ve done. They’re third in the league and they’ve had a really good Champions League so far, great performance last night and it was comfortable,’ he continued.
‘They can go a long way, they’re a dangerous team. I think Arsenal are big players but it all depends on the league.
‘At the moment, they’re six behind Liverpool and Liverpool have got a game in hand plus a better goal difference.
‘People say, “Oh, there’s 16 games to go!”, but there isn’t 16 games to go. They’ve probably got nine games, Liverpool, they’ve got to play Southampton, Leicester, Wolves, they’ve got these teams where if they turn up with the right attitude, they win those games.
‘If it gets to a stage where Liverpool are uncatchable, then I think Arsenal are massive players in the Champions League.
‘But if they’re trying to juggle both at the same time and try and chase Liverpool down because it might only be six points, then I think it’s going to be hard for them to win the Champions League.’
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