Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has told the club the one player he would sign if he had the power to do so.
The Gunners invested £15million in Albert Sambi Lokonga last summer who has had an up and down start to life at the Emirates Stadium. Still adapting to the Premier League, Mikel Arteta has had to lean on the experienced duo of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey for most of the season in the middle of the park.
With Partey out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury in the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at the start of the month, Lokonga was brought in to fill the Ghanaian's boots but was unable to prevent the Gunners from losing 2-1 to Brighton and Hove Albion and 1-0 to Southampton.
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Looking to halt the losing streak which could cost the north London outfit a place in the top four, Mohamed Elneny returned to the starting line-up in place of the 22-year-old and played key roles in both wins against Chelsea and Manchester United - Elneny could keep his place in the starting 11 against West Ham United on Sunday.
Though Partey will be fit for the start of next season, Elneny's contract runs out in the summer and the Gunners will be looking at bolstering their midfield options. One player who has been linked with a transfer to the Emirates Stadium is Wolves dynamo Ruben Neves and there will be plenty of teams looking to sign the Portugal star once the transfer window opens.
Merson believes that his former club should sign the midfielder as he isn't sure how Wolves will be able to keep the 25-year-old at the club.
“If I was Arsenal, I’d be going after Ruben Neves,” Merson wrote on Sportskeeda. “Manchester United are going to be after him as well. I’m not sure how Wolves are going to keep him at the club, to be honest.”
Neves upset Arsenal fans earlier this season when the Gunners scored twice in the final 10 minutes to come from behind and win 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium. "We saw the way they celebrated the win and that shows the level we are," Neves told BBC Sport at the time. "I didn't see Arsenal celebrating like this in the past 10 years - it was like they won the league."
