Paul Merson Urges Arsenal to Sign Out of Favour Chelsea Star Romelu Lukaku

The Gunners are scouring the centre-forward market to replace the duo of Aubameyang and Lacazette, and the former Arsenal man has claimed the solution is a short trip across London to sign Romelu Lukaku.

Writing in his Daily Star column, the Sky Sports pundit argued that 'Arsenal should make a cheeky £60m bid for Romelu Lukaku'.

The Belgian international has failed to reach the heights of his spell in Milan, scoring just eight league goals for Chelsea last season and playing second fiddle to Kai Havertz for large swathes of the season.

Romelu Lukaku has struggled since his return to Chelsea.

However, despite the poor form since returning to British shores, Merson believes that the 29-year-old could be exactly what Arteta needs, writing:

‘I know he hasn’t scored a lot of goals this season but Lukaku is an elite goal-scorer. Arsenal play great football up to the edge of the box but then it often fizzles out. Arsenal go through the lines. They want their striker on the edge of the box. It would suit him.’

A lack of ruthless edge certainly cost Arsenal in the top four race, however, it’s unclear whether an out-and-out goal-scorer in and of itself is what Arteta wants. The demands placed upon a centre-forward in the Spaniard’s system is high, and a dysfunctional forward in the attacking structure can completely derail the productivity of the other ten players. 

Figure courtesy of The Athletic

As the above figure shows, a centre-forward in the *dream* system contributes substantially to the overall build-up play. Arsenal’s resembles City and Liverpool except for one core aspect, the centre-forward.

This was the impact of playing three quarters of a season with Lacazette upfront. Therefore, a move for Lukaku would appear to be ill-advised, if the motivation behind signing the Belgian is purely goals, as the centre-forward Arteta craves needs to bring both goals *and* contribute to build-up. 

Whilst Merson speculates a bid for Lukaku could be a smart move, Arsenal would be better advised scouring the young centre-forward market this summer with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gianluca Scamacca on the Gunners’ radar. Opting for an older striker who would cost in excess of £60m could be a mistake.