Paul Merson has questioned Arsenal’s decision to not sign Fabian Delph when he was made available by Manchester City this summer.
The England international joined Everton on a three-year contract, his transfer fee stretching to £10m through add ons.
He is already lighting up Goodison Park with his qualities on the ball and Merson believes that Arsenal missed out on a real gem.
“I look at him and wonder why Arsenal didn’t sign him,” Merson said on Sky Sports. “He is better than the midfield three that played against Tottenham. He could have played at left-back instead of Kolasinac on Sunday. I am a big fan of Delph. He can play in certain positions and is an excellent signing for Everton.”
Now, Arsenal fielded a midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira for the North London derby and came away with a point. Xhaka gave away a penalty and was error-ridden throughout the match while Torreira had one of his more unimpactful games in a while. Guendouzi put up a Man Of The Match worthy performance and registered the assist for the equalising goal.
Many questioned Unai Emery’s decision to not play Dani Ceballos in that midfield setup but overall it was not the worst performance from the Gunners. The on-loan Real Madrid player has won over fans immediately with his creative skills and is regarded as a quality acquisition even if it is for one season.
With the likes of Guendouzi rising up the club ranks and Torreira proving to be an important defensive option, it is not difficult to see why Arsenal never opted for Delph. Emery was far too occupied with improvements to the team’s defence and wing positions.
