Arsenal must forget spending money on refurbishing the Emirates and instead plough funds into the first-team squad, according to former Gunners hero Paul Merson. Arsenal are set to make improvements to their home stadium this summer, 16 years after it first opened. The exterior of the bowl has looked past its best for a number of years.
Arsenal news: Paul Merson has hit out at Gunners owner Stan Kroenke (Image: GETTY)
Merson believes Arsenal should be focusing all their attention on signing the likes of Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse instead of renovating the Emirates.
Merson wrote in his Daily Star column: "Arsenal will never be kings of England winning multiple titles again while Stan Kroenke is busy wasting money refurbishing the Emirates.
"I still think they're only one top class striker away from being contenders - but they'll never stick around at the top long while Kroenke has his eyes elsewhere.
"Go and sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Go and get James Ward-Prowse for the midfield. Don't spend it on the stadium. What a waste. Seriously.
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"We've just seen what Kroenke's done with the LA Rams, building a team to win now - and winning the Super Bowl.
"Compare that to what he's doing at Arsenal. It just shows you what his intentions are for Arsenal - he doesn't have any!
"If he wanted to do something big at Arsenal he'd have done it already. Refurbishing the stadium? It's like having a nice house and doing it up so it doesn't lose it's value."
Merson says Arsenal should forget trying to compete with the stadium north London rivals Tottenham have.
Arsenal news: Paul Merson says the Gunners should focus all their attention on new signings (Image: EXPRESS)
Though he admits it is clear Kroenke is not prioritising success on the pitch.
"People think he's doing it because the new Tottenham stadium is better than the Emirates now," Merson added.
"It is better than the Emirates - but that doesn't make any difference. Put the players on the pitch for Mikel Arteta.
"They had world class players when they were at Highbury. Now they have loads of fans in the stadium but they don't have a single world class player to watch!"
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"Kroenke spent his money on the Rams to win the Super Bowl. If he wants to win the Premier League he's got the money to do it.
"He's got the money to win multiple Premier League titles.
"It just sums him up that he's going to spend it doing up the stadium. The stadium is the investment. Not the football."