Former Arsenal attacker Paul Merson warns Tottenham Hotspur against becoming a selling club.
Former Arsenal attacker Paul Merson has warned Tottenham Hotspur against becoming a selling club, as reported in The Daily Star.
Tottenham will leave White Hart Lane at the end of the season and will play at the Wembley Stadium in London for the 2017-18 campaign while they build their new stadium.
Merson has pointed out that when Arsenal left Highbury for the Emirates Stadium, they had to sell a number of players and could not make too many big-name signings.
The former Arsenal attacker, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, has warned Tottenham that something similar could happen to them.
“Tottenham need to be careful they don’t fall into the same trap as Arsenal when they leave White Hart Lane,” Merson wrote in The Daily Star. “It will be a shame to see the old ground disappear. But it’s a sign of the times and Spurs need bigger facilities to compete.
“The trouble is, it hasn’t helped Arsenal has it? All it’s done is make them money. But what have they spent it on?
“Look at all the world-class players who were there before they moved – Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Robert Pires.
“How many world-class players have they brought in since? Alexis Sanchez? Who else? The Emirates should be full of these top stars. But it isn’t.
“Everyone is going to be looking at Spurs players this summer and they have to make sure they don’t become a selling club while they have to pay for their new stadium.”
While Merson does have a point, it is hard to see Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy selling big-name players in the summer transfer window.
Defender Kyle Walker could go as the England international right-back is on the radar of Manchester City (as reported by The London Evening Standard), but if Spurs get a lot of money for him, then there would be no reason for Spurs to sell any of their other key players.
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