‘It blows my mind’ – Paul Merson questions Arsenal transfer decision as Liverpool agree £35m deal

Paul Merson has questioned Arsenal’s apparent lack of interest in Marc Guehi, claiming the Crystal Palace captain would have been a ‘great replacement’ for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Liverpool are believed to have made an 11th-hour breakthrough in their pursuit of Guehi after weeks of intense rumour and speculation over the defender’s future.

The latest reports suggest the Premier League champions have struck a deal worth in the region of £35million for Guehi and official confirmation of the proposed transfer is expected over the coming hours.

The 25-year-old England international could have left Palace on a free transfer in 12 months’ time and the FA Cup holders have made the difficult decision to cash in on their skipper while they still have the chance.

Given the eye-watering transfer fees thrown around in the Premier League this summer, Merson is shocked that Liverpool have seemingly faced no competition in their move for Guehi.

The ex-Arsenal, Aston Villa and England midfielder has been impressed by Guehi’s ‘professionalism’ in recent weeks and is confident the Palace skipper would have proven a bargain for a team like Arsenal.

‘I think he’s a brilliant player, I really do think he’s a brilliant centre-half,’ Merson told Sky Sports News.

‘It blows my mind that it’s just Liverpool [that are interested]. He gets into everybody’s team in my opinion.

‘People might say at Arsenal he won’t get in at the moment because of the two [Saliba and Gabriel], but he’s a great replacement.

‘I know he might want to play, but in this day and age when we’re talking about £60m, £80m, £100m, £120m, he is a cup of tea for a top, top drawer centre-half.’

Merson added: ‘I don’t know the lad, but from the outside, with everything that’s gone on around transfer deadline day, look at the way he’s acted.

‘He’s done his job, he’s turned up. Alright, he might have had that thing with the manager on the pitch at Chelsea.

‘But he’s turned up, scored an unbelievable goal [against Aston Villa] yesterday. He’s a proper, proper professional.

‘If he doesn’t get his move this year, he’s going to go on a free next year.’

According to Merson, the addition of Guehi at Liverpool could create a selection headache down the line for head coach Arne Slot.

‘They’re good problems at the start but they’re not in the end. You’ve got to keep everybody happy,’ Merson continued.

‘I know people are saying that Salah is going away for six weeks so Ekitike and Gakpo will be alright, but that’s only for four, five, six weeks of January and you’ve got all the rest of the season.

‘That’s why Pep Guardiola doesn’t want to work with a big squad. It becomes hassle in the end.

‘But Guehi is a good player and whoever gets him has had a result, especially with the money they’re talking about.’

After Guehi scored a superb goal in Palace’s 3-0 win over Villa, Oliver Glasner said the club simply ‘had to keep’ hold of the centre-half in order to enjoy a successful campaign.

‘There is no deal,’ the Palace head coach told reporters at his post-match press conference.

‘We can decide, he is our player and under contract. We can decide. It is up to us. The only one who decides if Marc has to stay is our chairman.

‘Our fans deserve to have the best players available. If we don’t sell Marc, he will accept it. He loves Crystal Palace and the team.’

Glasner added: ‘We have to [keep Guehi] if we want to play a successful season.

‘We had a fantastic start, unbeaten in these six games, winning the Community Shield. Goal number two was qualifying for the group stage of the Conference League and we did it.

‘I told the players it was a good start, for a great start we need to win here and this is what the players did.

‘But it’s just a start. The first step is made. And for playing a successful season we need Marc.

‘It’s not possible within one day to find the replacement who can play immediately in the Premier League. When you see our defensive set-up, this is our foundation, everybody knows exactly what he has to do, everybody can rely on each other. Marc isn’t a small part in this, he’s our captain.

‘We have to keep him. I told this to the chairman. It’s not for me.

‘I like Marc, he’s such a professional player, and is such a nice guy but it’s for the future of Crystal Palace, it’s for playing a successful season. We have to keep him.

‘We’ve talked about this situation and said, okay, we’re just selling Marc if we have the right replacement. If we don’t have the right replacement for me it’s clear to keep him.’

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