Paul Merson says Arsenal CAN'T win the league with Eddie Nketiah up front as he demands £70m replacement | The Sun

ARSENAL can't win the Premier League with Eddie Nketiah up front, according to Paul Merson.

Nketiah started up front during Sunday's North London derby and has been the Gunners' starting No9 while Gabriel Jesus made his way back from injury.

The 24-year-old has two goals in six games this season, with Arsenal winning four and drawing two.

However, Merson – who won two league titles with the Gunners in 1989 and 1991 – does not believe Nketiah's firepower is enough to break the club's two-decade-long title drought.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "I’ve always said it from day one: Eddie Nketiah is not going to win you the Premier League.

"You need a proper centre-forward. I’m not blaming Nketiah because they drew 2-2 with Tottenham.

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"But with 32 games to go and all the Champions League games they have to play, I don’t think he takes them to the next level. I don’t even think Gabriel Jesus takes them to the next level.

“I was so confident that Arsenal would win on Sunday but when I saw the teams, I was majorly worried.

"Jesus on the wing, Nketiah up front, Fabio Vieira… I don’t think he’s good enough. Then Declan Rice comes off and Jorginho comes on."

"It wasn’t Arsenal’s strongest team but when you think about the Champions League and all the games they have to play. It looked a bit weak on Sunday, didn’t it?"

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Despite his criticism, Merson believes he has identified a solution in the form of banned Brentford forward Ivan Toney.

He added: "It’s all right sitting there and thinking ‘they need a centre-forward’… but who is there?

"Only Ivan Toney is available for them in January. There aren’t many centre-forwards around in the world.

"They’re a dying breed. Toney is a good player. He can hold the ball up, he’s good in the air.

"Arsenal might have to go for him. But there are not a million centre-forwards around."

Toney was slapped with an eight-month ban from football after being found guilty of breaching betting rules.

However, the 27-year-old is still valued at £70million by the Bees.

The England forward, who opened up on the ban on the Diary of a CEO podcast, scored 20 goals in 33 league games before the ban.

Toney also suggested he would be open to a transfer to one of Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester United on the podcast.

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The Sun obtained exclusive footage of Toney in training after Brentford struck a deal with the FA to allow him to do so for rehabilitation work on a hamstring issue he sustained last season.

Arsenal take on Toney-less Brentford on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup third round.

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