Paul Merson says Arsenal should’ve actually signed ‘brilliant’ player instead of Noni Madueke

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Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea.

Recruiting players from the Blues has become a bit of a habit for the Gunners. Arsenal fans felt Kepa Arrizabalaga would be the only one in this window, but a deal has been agreed to sign Madueke as well.

The Englishman has undergone his medical in London, and it’s only a matter of time before an official announcement confirms the move.

A number of Arsenal fans are surprised that their club have signed Madueke. Paul Merson can’t believe it either.

Paul Merson says he’s ‘shocked’ that Arsenal have signed Noni Madueke

Noni Madueke was definitely on any Arsenal fan’s wish list this season.

The England international is not a bad player by any means, but fans of the Emirates Stadium club were hoping for bigger names like Nico Williams or Rafael Leao.

However, Mikel Arteta chose Madueke, and the Chelsea star has all but completed his move to become a Gunner.

Merson doesn’t seem confident about Madueke at all.

The pundit has now claimed that his old club should’ve signed Eberechi Eze instead of the Chelsea winger. He then backed the Gunners to still sign the Crystal Palace star.

Merson told Sky Sports: “I am flabbergasted by Arsenal signing Noni Madueke. I’m shocked. If Arsenal went and bought any player from Chelsea, he’d have been the last one I thought they’d sign.”

In the same article, he added: “If you asked me whether Arsenal should sign Eberechi Eze or Madueke, I’d have said Eze all day long.

“Now that’s a deal I can see happening, and it would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal. He’s perfect.

“Arsenal struggle when teams come to the Emirates and put everyone behind the ball. Teams want to limit the space Arsenal have to play in, and they have struggled to break teams down with those tactics.

“For me, that’s where Eze comes in. He’s got the X-factor and the ability to break a low block down.”

Eberechi Eze vs Noni Madueke stats in 2024/25 compared

Eze and Madueke play in different roles, but they are both still judged by their output.

The Chelsea star plays out wide. His preferred position is on the right wing, but he has been used on the opposite side as well. Eze, on the other hand, played most games as a number 10 last season, but he made a few appearances on the left too last term.

Eze is clearly the more productive player, which is one of the reasons why Merson prefers him over Madueke at Arsenal.

But, the Englishman’s numbers are not too bad either, and the fact that he is still only 23 means he will get better in the coming years.