Gabriel Jesus could outscore Manchester City’s star Erling Haaland this season, Paul Merson gives his verdict as he says Arsenal are lucky to sign him.
Paul Merson, a former midfielder for Arsenal, has said that he is baffled as to how the club was able to recruit Gabriel Jesus this summer.
Given Arsenal’s abundance of attacking skill and propensity to change up their frontline, Jesus will be thrilled to have the opportunity to play the “main man” at the club instead of the supporting role he was used to at Manchester City.
Arsenal paid £45 million for the Brazilian international for the transfer, plus an additional £10 million in add-ons.
Additionally, rival Tottenham Hotspur of north London was believed to have noticed Jesus.
Merson observed Jesus in action during the preseason-friendly match between the Gunners and Chelsea in Florida and was perplexed as to why how Arsenal managed to seal the deal.
He has been left impressed by what he has seen and Jesus needs to have at least a 15+ Premier League goal tally to his name next season if the Gunners are to secure a top-four place.
The former England international also believes that Jesus could outscore Erling Haaland, the man who replaced him in Pep Guardiola’s side.
Merson said in his column for the Daily Star: “I was at Chelsea vs Arsenal the other day in Florida,”
“And Chelsea will have to pull up some trees to catch City and Liverpool.
“It’s plain to see they can’t play a back four.
“I go a lot and whenever they play it you might as well go home. It’s that extreme.
“I also don’t like Chelsea’s business, it’s been slow and could come back to haunt them.
“It’s why Thomas Tuchel is getting so frustrated.
“You look at the other side and Arsenal had Gabriel Jesus and you’re scratching your head. How did Arsenal get him?
“The kid is an out-and-out center-forward, he may even outscore Haaland.
“He was unbelievable the other day, why didn’t Chelsea have a look?
“When I was walking out of the ground, fans were saying ‘it hasn’t started properly yet, wait until the season starts’ but not what I watched, that was alarming.”
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