Paul Merson Warns Arsenal Their Champions League Ambitions Could Be Hit By One Missing Signing

Arsenal may be favourites to retain their Premier League crown, but Paul Merson believes their failure to add another world-class attacker could ultimately prevent them from competing for the Champions League trophy.

The former Gunners star has backed Mikel Arteta’s side to win the domestic title again, yet he fears their attacking depth will be exposed when they come up against Europe’s biggest clubs.

Arsenal explored a move for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior earlier in the summer before eventually missing out on their main target, Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid. At the same time, Arteta sanctioned the departures of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard.

Christos Tzolis was the only attacking addition, leaving Arsenal with Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres as their two recognised strikers. Tzolis, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Max Dowman, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze provide further attacking options, but Merson does not believe the group is strong enough to cope with the demands of a Champions League campaign.

Merson Backs Arsenal For The Premier League

Despite his concerns, Merson remains confident Arsenal have enough quality to finish top of the Premier League.

“I think they win the Premier League,” he told Sky Sports. “But they’ll be short in the Champions League because of that, not having that extra person up front.

“You look at Havertz and Gyokeres – I like those two but they’re not going to give you sleepless nights.”

For Merson, the difference becomes particularly obvious when Arsenal face the elite sides in Europe.

He believes Tzolis is a reliable, hard-working option on the left, while Eze is more effective through the middle. But he questioned whether Arsenal currently possess an attacker capable of making Europe’s best defenders genuinely fearful.

“My picture is, when you’re playing PSG, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan away, Real Madrid and Barcelona, I can’t imagine the right winger tossing and turning in bed at night thinking ‘I’ve got to play against him’,” Merson said.

“But I can see it when Vinicius Junior is playing for Real Madrid.”

Vinicius Move Could Have Changed Everything

Merson believes Arsenal’s pursuit of Vinicius was the opportunity that could have transformed their squad.

The former England international suggested the move was more serious than many realised and that Arsenal may have devoted too much attention to it while other opportunities slipped away.

“I think that was the one. At the start of the transfer window when they went for Vinicius Junior – and it was serious, it was closer than what people think,” he said.

“I think they concentrated on that too much and things passed them by and they missed out on other people.

“I think that would have taken them to another level. You’d have looked at that and thought ‘Arsenal are shopping in a different market to everybody else’.”

Instead, Arsenal turned their attention to strengthening elsewhere, bringing in Tzolis, Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa, Illan Meslier and Piero Hincapie.

Merson is a fan of Guimaraes and believes the midfielder adds composure and control, but he maintains that Arsenal needed another major attacking addition.

“I like Bruno Guimaraes – he came on the other day, steadies things, plays nice one-twos. He’s a good footballer,” he said.

Merson Questions The Decision To Sell Trossard

The £117m move of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea also prompted Merson to question whether Arsenal should have pushed harder for the England international.

But his biggest concern remains the decision to allow experienced attacker Trossard to leave, particularly given Arsenal’s ambitions on multiple fronts.

“I personally would have, especially getting rid of Martinelli and Trossard. I wouldn’t have let Trossard go. He’s a good football player and played in the big games,” Merson said.

His argument is simple: when a club reaches the highest level, strengthening should not stop.

Merson used a fast-food analogy to make his point, arguing that even the biggest and most successful companies continue to advertise rather than assuming their position is secure.

“When you’re at the top you buy players,” he said.

Premier League Glory Or European Frustration?

Merson’s prediction leaves Arsenal facing an intriguing split in expectations.

He believes Arteta’s squad has enough to retain the Premier League title, but the Champions League could expose the one weakness he feels was never properly addressed: the lack of another truly elite attacker.

“For me, they’ve done enough to win the Premier League again but I’d be surprised if they won the Champions League,” Merson concluded.

Arsenal may have strengthened significantly across the squad, but according to Merson, the difference between another domestic title and a genuine European challenge could come down to the attacking weapon they chose not to sign.