Paul Merson raises doubt over future of £60m Arsenal star

Paul Merson has questioned whether Eberechi Eze will make it at Arsenal following his disappointing start to the season.

Eze joined the Gunners in a £60m move from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2025 and helped Arsenal win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final in his first season at the Emirates Stadium.

The competition at Arsenal only increased over the summer as Mikel Arteta welcomed central midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and winger Christos Tzolis to the club.

Eze was handed his first Premier League start of the season against Nottingham Forest on Sunday but was subbed off at half-time after an ineffective display and saw his replacement, Noni Madueke, score a late winner for the defending champions.

Speaking after the game, Arsenal legend Ian Wright said Eze will be ‘concerned’ about the trajectory of his career under Arteta.

Merson says Eze is a ‘lovely player’ but is equally worried about his prospects, raising serious doubt over his future at Arsenal.

‘I’ve played for big teams and I’ve played for teams that weren’t big – it’s a different game,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘Eberechi Eze is a prime example.

‘It’s so, so different. He was substituted at half-time against Forest, but if he played like that for Crystal Palace, he would still be on the pitch.

‘You’ve got to perform at Arsenal. You’ve got to play in a shape. You can’t just play your own game. You can’t be a free spirit at big clubs anymore.

‘At Palace, the team talk is ‘give the ball to Eze, everything goes through him and then we’ll work from there’. You go to Arsenal, there are four of them.

‘Give the ball to Bruno. Give the ball to Bukayo Saka. Give the ball to Martin Odegaard. Give the ball to Declan Rice.

‘At Arsenal, he gets on the ball, and he’s got to make things happen in the 25, 30 times he’s touched the ball instead of the 100 times he touches the ball at Palace.

‘I’ve seen him try to nutmeg people on the edge of his own box at Crystal Palace and lose the ball, but it’s alright. That’s no disrespect to Palace, but it’s just different playing for a big team.

‘The pressure is on week in, week out at Arsenal. They can win at Forest and they’ll still get criticised by people like me. That’s the difference.

‘I remember Aston Villa away last year. Eze falls asleep at the far post, Matty Cash scores and he gets subbed at half-time. He started only one league game in the next two months.

‘The lad can play. He’s a lovely player, but I don’t know if he’ll be lovely for Arsenal. I don’t know if he’ll get the chance because as soon as he doesn’t do well, he’s off.

‘Arsenal have too many players on the bench, so it’s easy to take him off. That’s the problem.’

Arsenal’s late win over Nottingham Forest closed the gap to Premier League leaders Manchester City to just three points.

Arteta’s side return to Champions League action on Wednesday night with a daunting trip to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

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