"It’s really worrying" - Paul Merson claims Arsenal star is not good enough to even play for Wolverhampton

Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson has launched a scathing attack on Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah. The former England international-turned-television pundit has claimed that Nketiah is not even good enough to play for bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arsenal suffered a bitter blow during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with Gabriel Jesus picking up a serious knee injury. The Brazil international had to undergo surgery and is expected to miss around three months of action.

In Jesus' absence, Nketiah has huge shoes to fill and Paul Merson has suggested that the youngster is not up to the task. Merson has claimed that Nketiah is not good enough to lead the line for clubs in the bottom half of the table. He wrote in his column for The Daily Star:

“I try not to read too much into friendlies but it’s a massive worry for Arsenal that they’re now relying on out-of-form Eddie Nketiah when the Premier League returns."

“Without being horrible, what Premier League team does Eddie Nketiah get in? Wolves are bottom for instance, they’re desperate for a goal and they wouldn’t go and get him."

📰 Nketiah has worked on his all-round game, doing extra sessions after training

(@sr_collings 🌖) https://t.co/NJX4m5CQYj

Merson has claimed that his former club could be in trouble during the Christmas period as they have three tricky fixtures to navigate. He added:

“For me, it’s really worrying. Arsenal have three very difficult games over Christmas in West Ham, Brighton and Newcastle. Nketiah might deliver for three games but I just don’t see him doing it for 10 or more matches."

Eddie Nketiah has been fairly prolific at the youth level for both club and country but has not really flourished at the senior level. The 23-year-old holds the record for being England's record goalscorer at the under-21 level with 16 goals in 17 games.

In total, Nketiah has 35 goals in 38 games for England across various youth levels. He has also scored 46 goals in 60 games for the Gunners at various age levels.

However, things have not really worked out for the Gunners striker at the senior level at the Emirates. So far, he has just 26 goals in 111 games for the north Londoners.

Arsenal to trigger 2-year contract extension in youngster's contract

Arsenal are reportedly set to trigger a two-year contract extension for Charlie Patino. The highly-rated youngster has only six months left on his contract and is currently on loan in the Championship with Blackpool.

Expectation is that Arsenal will trigger a two-year extension of Charlie Patino's contract in the next few days, as first reported by @gunnerblog. Understand the deadline for the extension is the end of 2022. As it stands, Patino's deal expires at the end of this season.

The highly-rated midfielder has scored twice and provided as many assists in 18 games for the Seasiders this campaign. Since joining the Gunners' academy from Luton Town in 2015, Patino has made two senior appearances for Mikel Arteta's side.