Paul Merson urged Tottenham to dip in to the transfer market to sign a player and recommended signing West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic in the process.
The Sky Sports pundit was asked whether Spurs could cope without Harry Kane due to injury for a few weeks and said they simple have to cover his absence by signing a player.
Merson shared that if he was them then he’d be looking at Arnautovic as he was a top draw player he could play elsewhere in the team once Kane returned.
However the pundit then issues a stark warning over what would happen if Spurs didn’t welcome a new player as he claimed it could see them not playing top-four football next season.
“I think Tottenham have to dip in and I mean dip in with a player, if they get a player that he can play next season and not just someone who is going to come and fill a gap for three or five games if Tottenham are going to be successful they’re going to have a lot of football matches next season like they have this season and so bring in a player who can play next season,” said Merson on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday (Sky Sports News, Saturday January 19th, 12:37).
“If I was them, I’d be looking at Arnautovic, I mean the lad there won’t be happy or the West Ham fans because one he can play up front and two if Kane gets back and he don’t play, he can play another position and he’s a top draw player.
“For me that’s why they should be doing if Tottenham don’t go and buy anybody this could come back to bite them big time and they could be playing next season, not playing top-four football.”
OPINION
Arnautovic would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, depending on his price, and could really do a job for them. Also Spurs fans would no doubt love to taunt West Ham supporters that they had stolen the club’s perceived best player as the rivalry between the two clubs is known. Yet the only issue with Merson urging Spurs to swoop for Arnautovic to improve themselves, is the fact he’d likely cost a ridiculously amount. As Sky Sports previously reported West Ham have already rejected a £35million bid for their star man from an unnamed Chinese club and they’d likely raise their valuation of the 29-year-old forward if Spurs were the interested party. While Spurs fans are no doubt wishing for their club to spend big, it would be crazy if they blew a load of cash on a new forward even if Merson is issuing warnings about their immediate future, as it would smell like a panic buy as ahead of Kane’s injury, they didn’t seem likely to recruit a new attacker.