Former Arsenal star Paul Merson believes the Gunners should sign ex-Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He believes that the 30-year-old is a perfect replacement for Mikel Merino, who is out injured.
On Sky Sports, Merson claimed that signing Loftus-Cheek would be a ‘no-brainer’ for Arsenal as he is a good player who comes with Premier League experience. The AC Milan star has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, and the Gunners legend admitted they will face competition. He said (via Metro):
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“Oh absolutely worth looking at! Loftus-Cheek is a very good player with Premier League experience. That would be a no-brainer. But there’d be a lot of other clubs that could need Loftus-Cheek, definitely.”
Reports earlier on Monday suggested that the Gunners were also interested in Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali. Merson has backed his former side to push for the Italian if he becomes available and said:
“He’s a proper player if Arsenal went and got him. You just have to keep on buying better players, better players. I’d take him tomorrow morning. Arsenal are going for Champions League, Premier League, they’re in four cups still. This is not just planning for this season, they’re planning to dominate for five or six years. He’s a phenomenal team, he’d walk into anybody’s team in the world in my opinion.”
However, the Tonali rumors have been put to rest with English media playing down the rumors that originated in Germany.
Mikel Merino picked up a foot injury during the 3-2 loss to Manchester United last month. He is set for a significant spell on the sidelines, but could return before the season ends.
Arsenal have regularly signed Chelsea-linked players under Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta took over at Arsenal in 2019, and had David Luiz in the squad. The Brazilian had just moved from Chelsea to the club in the summer, and he played a key role in their FA Cup win that season.
The Spaniard went on to sign Willian on a free transfer after he ran down his contract at Stamford Bridge. The Gunners signed Jorginho in January 2023 for a reported £12 million, before following it up with a £65 million move for Kai Havertz six months later.
Arteta also brought in Raheem Sterling on a season-long loan in the 2024/25 season, when the winger was made available by Enzo Maresca. They paid £52.5 million to sign Noni Madueke this summer, and another £5 million to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea.
Edited by Sripad