Paul Merson, a former midfielder for Arsenal, has advised the club to make a strong offer for Cody Gakpo, a player wanted by Manchester United. He said that they should not allow the loss of Gabriel Jesus to detract from their greatest opportunity to win the Premier League since 2004.
Merson told the Daily Express that Arsenal must be “serious and work hard” in order to make any moves during the transfer window. He is certain that with Gakpo on the team, the club would finally win a title after almost two decades.
What did Paul Merson say about the Arsenal target?
He said: “Arsenal have got to go and get Cody Gakpo after Gabriel Jesus’ knee injury. They’ve got to go and get someone. They’ve got a free swing. If he is out for up to three months as some reports suggest, they will be out of the top four, let alone the Premier League title race. They need to go and get someone. This is the first time since 2004 that they’ve had a serious, serious chance of winning the title.”
If it cost £100 million more, Merson said he’d rather have the Dutchman than Joao Felix
He said: “If they carry on doing what they’re doing they’ll get in the top four and they would get all of their money back anyway from qualifying for the Champions League. Eddie Nketiah can’t keep it up, no disrespect to the kid. Of course he can’t. It’s too much to ask. He is brilliant to come on as a sub but they’ve got to go and get a focal point.”
He added: “I’d get Gakpo, he’s lively and scores goals. I would take him over Joao Felix, all day long. It doesn’t matter if it costs £100m. You get this chance once in a blue moon.”
Gakpo has been very productive this year. He has contributed to PSV Eindhoven’s scoring of 13 goals and 17 more via assists in only 24 games played across all competitions.
Man Utd made a late bid for Gakpo, a Dutch player they had been eyeing since the summer. Their negotiations with PSV Eindhoven ultimately resulted in fruitlessness. He remained with his current club.
However, he turned down a transfer to Leeds United, who were competing with Arsenal for his services.
Gakpo has been outstanding for the Dutch national team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he has scored three goals in four matches.
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