‘Can’t hit a barn door…’: Paul Merson drops verdict on striker Arsenal want to sign

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal look set to sign a striker in the summer transfer window, and have been linked with a sensational big-money move for Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen has been linked with several top clubs after his 28 league goals helped Napoli win their first title in 30 years last season.

He is proven in a top European league and in the Champions League, but former Arsenal striker Paul Merson is far from convinced that he is the right signing for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Paul Merson questions Arsenal interest in Victor Osimhen

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Merson claimed that Osimhen would take too much time to settle, and that Arsenal should move for someone more proven in the Premier League.

“You bring him in and he takes five or six months to settle. The figures that Liverpool and Man City put up now if you start the season and lose three of your first five games you are out of the title race,” he stated.

“These teams just keep winning and winning and winning. You have to bring someone in who you have seen in the league and know they can do it.

“How many players have we seen who have scored thousands of goals abroad and they come in this league and can’t hit a barn door?”

He also suggested that Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, who has scored 13 Premier League goals this season, would be a better addition.

Osimhen would be an excellent addition for Arsenal

Aside from his injury issues, Osimhen has shown that he is capable of scoring, and contributing speed and creativity to the attack, at the highest level.

Gabriel Jesus signed for the club as a four-time Premier League winner, yet the links with Osimhen have come after calls for the Brazilian to be replaced.

Quality will shine through if the player is used in the system correctly, and the bulk of Arteta’s successful signings, such as Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey, came from teams outside of England.

Merson’s comments are perhaps disrespectful to what Osimhen achieved at Napoli, and also fail to highlight that Osimhen thrived in an attacking side, which is arguably more important for adaptation than playing in the same league.

Folarin Balogun moved from a defensive to an attacking side in the summer, and struggled to adapt within the same league thanks to the tactical differences. Should Osimhen join, his success, or lack of it, is unlikely to be determined by his lack of Premier League experience.