Mikel Arteta transformed Arsenal from a mid-table side to title contenders by signing talented players with the right age profile and the right attitude in key areas.
Declan Rice was a quality signing 18 months ago, while Kai Havertz has proven people wrong since joining Arsenal.
However, not every signing Arsenal have made recently has been a slam dunk.
Mikel Merino has been criticised at times this season too, and writing in his column for The Telegraph, Jamie Carragher has suggested that this signing was a mistake.
Jamie Carragher criticises Mikel Merino signing
Carragher shared his verdict on Arsenal going for Merino.
The pundit says that the squad balance is now all wrong at Arsenal and that they should’ve signed a new attacker instead of Merino.
“That does not disguise the reality that Arsenal are not the same team as the last two years. There is yet to be a performance that leaves you thinking they look like the next champions. The balance of the squad is not right,” Carragher wrote.
That’s why so many are caught in this central zone wondering if the first 21 games are a sign of a team that needs a significant revamp, or whether in fact they have fought hard to stay in contention and build a foundation which leaves them just one or two deals from becoming the country’s outstanding team.
“It is obvious where the frustration will be directed if they fall off the pace. Long-standing and justified concerns about a lack of firepower have not been addressed.
“Prioritising signing midfielder Mikel Merino ahead of another attacker last summer looks like a mistake. Merino is not a game-changer.”
Who could Arsenal have signed?
Carragher says that Arsenal made a mistake going for Merino instead of a new attacker, and while that is a fair argument to make, it’s way too simplistic.
Merino cost Arsenal just £25m. Which striker could Arsenal have signed for that fee to make a difference?
Eddie Nketiah left the club for £30m, so you’re looking at a pool of players who aren’t of Arsenal quality.
If Arsenal had decided to spend massive money on Merino rather than signing a striker, this argument would stand up, but bringing in Merino for £25m after a brilliant Euros to bolster the midfield wasn’t bad business at all.
Arsenal should’ve signed a striker, yes, but the £25m they spent on Merino wouldn’t have got them the player they needed to reach that next level.
Arsenal need a world-class striker, and these days, those sorts of players are costing you north of £60m, if not more.
Arsenal wanted Alexander Isak in the summer, Benjamin Sesko was a target too, and make no mistake about it, those players would’ve cost a lot more than Merino.
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