When it comes to signing experienced 30-somethings, Arsenal have been burned more often than an amnesia-riddled moth stuck in the lighting section of Ikea.
Willian’s £220,000-a-week, three-year contract feels longer and more expensive by the day. And the less said about Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kim Kallstrom the better.
When it comes to Dries Mertens, however, those long-suffering Arsenal supporters could be forgiven for wondering if their veteran curse is about to come to an end.
Mertens may be 34 but the man who overtook Diego Maradona and Marek Hamsik to become the most prolific player in Napoli’s history remains an elite-level attacker; an evergreen goal-scorer who has hit double figures in every one of his eight seasons at the Stadio San Paolo.
In 2016/17, the best of his career, Mertens found the net a remarkable 34 times in all competitions, establishing himself as one of the most feared forwards in European football. And the Belgian international had Maurizio Sarri to thank for transforming him from an inconsistent winger into a ruthless number nine.
And with Voetbal24 reporting that Mertens could be set for a shock switch to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Tottenham showing an interest, could the former PSV star be reunited with the coach who took his game to a whole new level in Southern Italy?
According to Football Italia, 62-year-old Sarri is holding talks with both Arsenal and Tottenham, a return to England on the cards for a man who led Chelsea to a top-four finish and Europa League glory as recently as 2019.
Suddenly, reports linking Mertens with a move to North London make sense.
Is this an early indication that Sarri, a free agent after being sacked by Juventus less than 12 months ago, is already drawing up a list of transfer targets should he get the nod to replace Jose Mourinho or Mikel Arteta?
The Telegraph reported in June 2018 that Sarri wanted Mertens as his first signing at Chelsea. It should be no surprise, then, that he could return for one of his favourite sons three years later.
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