Ruthless Mikel Arteta sack closer than you think as Paul Merson names date Arsenal will pull trigger

Paul Merson feels Mikel Arteta is in growing danger of being axed by Arsenal, having named the one signing he simply must make to ensure the axe does not fall, and with sources able to reveal the board’s current feelings around their manager’s future.

The Gunners have made rapid strides under the intense 43-year-old, who boasts an impressive 57.99% win percentage record since his appointment in north London in 2019. And with Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle at Emirates Stadium securing both a third straight runners-up finish in the Premier League and Champions League football at Arsenal once again, there is no doubt that the Gunners are now seen as one of the forces of English football.

However, making that next step from nearly men to serial trophy winners has proved elusive. To that end, speculation of late has suggested Arsenal may need to make a change of manager to help them on their way and transform themselves from doubters to believers.

Speculating over Arteta‘s future, Paul Merson feels he could only have until Christmas to prove he is capable of helping Arsenal make that extra step.

“The problem is with this Arsenal team. I’m trying to back them up and say they’re a good team, but you’ve got to win something,” Merson said on Sky Sports. “It’s not easy. Every time it gets to the latter stages, they go, and that would be my worry.

“I think Arteta’s got till Christmas till everybody starts…they will have to be in the top two at Christmas to keep on going.

“I think next season. If you get to four [seasons], then no, you can’t [keep going].

“Everybody wants to play for Arsenal, people will come to Arsenal, so it’s not like they’re struggling to get players and they’ve got the money.

“For me, next year he’s got to be in the top two by Christmas or they’ll go for someone else, they will!”

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Merson credits Mikel Arteta for returning Arsenal’s heart

Merson is adamant that everything is in place for Arsenal to collect major honours, adding: “It’s timing. When it’s your time, you’ve got to make it count.

“You see it go in circles. Look at Liverpool, they went 30 years without a title, a club like that! Then it comes round and they win trophies.

“You’ve got to make it count. Man Utd were dominant, look at them now! I just think they have to make it count.”

Despite that, Merson does credit Arteta for putting the heart back into Arsenal, though fears sympathy for him will start wearing thin if they do not sign the prolific No.9 he feels they very obviously need this summer.

“If you look at the all-round picture, four/five years ago they were also-rans, the club’s gone, it’s going nowhere. He [Arteta] put the heart back in the club,” Merson added. “The fans are here, they turn up every week again. They’re not far away, they need a centre forward.

“A couple of injuries here and there, and I know people go, ‘everyone has injuries’, no, they don’t. Not to key, key players. I always say it, if you took [Mohamed] Salah and [Virgil van] Dijk out of that Liverpool team, believe me, that is not winning the league if they’re out for a long period of time.

“And that’s what’s happened, [Bukayo] Saka’s a big player for them, [Kai] Havertz, people have a go at him, he’s a big player. When he hasn’t been playing, he’s been missed.

“They need a couple of players. I hope he doesn’t end up like [Arsene] Wenger did a couple of years into his reign when everyone knew they needed a centre-back. They need a centre forward.”

Despite those claims, our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher has explained why the Arsenal board remains unanimously behind their manager right now and why any talk of the sack at the moment is futile.

Arsenal transfer latest: Green light for huge signing; Wright wants Man Utd man

Thankfully, Arsenal do appear to be making progress on that new striker front. That’s after a report claimed they are expected to accelerate plans to sign Viktor Gyokeres in the next few days after his transfer was given a significant double green light and with the fee the Gunners are expected to pay Sporting Lisbon and length of deal the player is set to be offered also coming to light.

Elsewhere, a former Tottenham man has told the Gunners that they are “not an attractive proposition” for a Real Madrid star they would like to sign this summer, while also suggesting they could struggle to finance the deal anyway.

However, Arsenal are reportedly in ‘pole position’ to land another LaLiga star this summer, and they could it for just HALF of his asking price with his club desperate to avoid financial issues.

And finally, Gunners legend Ian Wright has revealed he “would love to have” a Manchester United superstar in the ranks at the Emirates and he wishes he played there.

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