Arsenal legend Paul Merson has warned Mikel Arteta that playing Mikel Merino As striker would hinder the Gunners from winning the Premier League title.
Merino has played up front regularly in the absence of Gyokeres and Kai Havertz.
Since the start of November, the Spanish international has registered four goals and three assists in seven matches for Arsenal, prompting Arteta to say he considered Merino a genuine No.9 option.
But Merson has warned Arteta to stop using Merino as a striker when he already has Viktor Gyokeres.
“I thought Mikel Arteta got it wrong when he used Mikel Merino as the centre-forward in the game against Villa,” former Arsenal star Paul Merson told Sportskeeda (via Tribuna).
“I know Merino scores a lot of important goals but Villa were bang in form and they needed someone like Viktor Gyokeres in that line-up to unsettle the opponents.
“You pay all that money for the ‘missing link’ and he sits on the bench for three straight games. If he had fitness issues, why is he on the bench? I don’t understand it.
“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Arsenal won’t win the league if they keep playing Merino as their centre-forward.”
