Arsenal told they are making big mistake spending £50m on ‘back-up player’

Paul Merson is ‘flabbergasted’ that Arsenal are interested in signing Noni Madueke and believes Eberechi Eze would make far more sense for his former club.

There has been a flurry of activity at Arsenal in recent days after a slow start to the summer transfer window, with Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga all signing on the dotted line at the Emirates.

And while the Gunners are still yet to strengthen their misfiring attack, it’s believed significant progress has been made in the club’s efforts to land Sporting sensation Viktor Gyokeres – their primary target up front – and Chelsea winger Madueke.

Arsenal’s interest in Madueke has taken many by surprise given the 23-year-old managed a total of just three goals in the Premier League while playing for their bitter rivals last season.

But the north Londoners are understood to have wrapped up a deal worth in the region of £50million for the England international and official confirmation of the big-money move is expected over the coming days.

‘I am flabbergasted by Arsenal signing Noni Madueke. I’m shocked,’ ex-Arsenal and England midfielder Merson wrote in his latest Sky Sports column.

‘If Arsenal went and bought any player from Chelsea, he’d have been the last one I thought they’d sign.

‘I just don’t see it. It’s a lot of money for a player who is not a prolific goalscorer. He’s the sort of player that has a good game here and a good game there, but that’ll be it. The consistency of performance isn’t there.

‘I hope he proves me wrong, but he’ll have the good games, just like he did for England last month. But then you won’t see him for a few weeks.

‘For me, at Chelsea, I’d have always played Jadon Sancho ahead of him. It’s not to be disrespectful to the player but I am flabbergasted by the money Arsenal are paying for him.’

According to Merson, Arsenal’s willingness to shell out £50m on Madueke will have come as an almighty – and pleasant – surprise to Chelsea bosses.

‘Chelsea just won’t believe that this deal has come to them. They won’t believe their luck,’ he added.

‘The only thing for Chelsea is how will Jamie Gittens settle in after his move from Dortmund. How good will he be? But they won’t have too many deliberations about sealing the deal for Madueke to move across London.

‘What I don’t get is that Madueke’s best position is playing on the right, cutting inside and getting shots away. Who does that for Arsenal?

‘Bukayo Saka. And he’s not coming out of the Arsenal starting XI.

‘So, with that in mind, £52m is a lot of money for a back-up player, in this day and age.

‘There’s also Ethan Nwaneri coming through and getting first-team minutes. Everyone tells me how good he is. There’s also a kid called Max Dowman coming through. I know he is a very young player but the stories you hear about him and the clips you see; they are off the chart.

‘That’s what I don’t get, unless they don’t fancy Nwaneri as a player.’

Merson fears Madueke’s impending arrival could point to a sense of uncertainty over Saka’s long-term future at the Emirates.

‘Call me a cynic, but is there another reason why they are doing this deal? Are there concerns about the future of Saka?’ he continued.

‘Are they getting this deal done and then all of a sudden it allows a potential sale of Saka or someone else.

‘The one player at Arsenal who has to play every week is Saka. When he doesn’t play, they are not the same team. The players around him are not the same when he doesn’t play.

‘If fit, he plays. So why do you spend £52m on a backup for him?’

Merson has, though, been pleased to see Arsenal linked with a player of Eze’s quality and ‘X-factor’ on the back of the forward’s outstanding season with Crystal Palace.

Eze enjoyed his best-ever campaign with the Eagles last term and according to Merson, he would be a ‘perfect’ addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad.

‘If you asked me whether Arsenal should sign Eberechi Eze or Madueke, I’d have said Eze all day long,’ he went on.

‘Now that’s a deal I can see happening and it would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal. He’s perfect.

‘Arsenal struggle when teams come to the Emirates and put everyone behind the ball. Teams want to limit the space Arsenal have to play in and they have struggled to break teams down with those tactics.

‘For me, that’s where Eze comes in. He’s got the X-factor and the ability to break a low block down.

‘Away from home, maybe he’s not the answer. Against the likes of Liverpool and Man City, they may come under the cosh for a bit, and they may have to play slightly differently.

‘But that’s why you have a big squad. At home, against the lesser teams, where they have 70 to 80 per cent of the ball, let Eze go and do what he wants because he will make something happen.

‘It would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal.’

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