Should Arsenal heed Joey Barton’s suggestion about Jonjo Shelvey?

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Would Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey be a good signing for Arsenal?

Joey Barton suggested on The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on talkSPORT on Monday morning (7:09am, February 12, 2018) that Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey would be a good signing for Arsenal.

The former Newcastle midfielder made the suggestion following the Magpies’ 1-0 victory over Manchester United at St. James’ Park in the Premier League this past weekend.

Former Charlton Athletic and Liverpool midfielder Shelvey, who joined Newcastle from Swansea City in January 2016 for a transfer fee reported by BBC Sport to be worth £12 million, played well for Rafael Benitez’s side.

Barton said about Shelvey on The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on talkSPORT on Monday morning (7:09am, February 12, 2018): “I think he would be – this is going to sound mad – when I watch Arsenal and what Arsenal need, I think if somebody could teach Jonjo the role, that first receiver with that range of passing, that was what Xhaka was brought in as. Xhaka is too stiff for me.

“I think if somebody teaches him to hold in the middle of the park, somebody teaches him a bit of discipline in terms of his tacking and temperament, I think his range of passing could be ideal for somebody like Arsenal.”

Should Arsenal go for Jonjo Shelvey?

Shelvey is a good midfielder who knows the Premier League inside out, but the problem with the former Liverpool man is that he is inconsistent and does not always deliver.

True, the England international played well against Jose Mourinho’s United this past weekend, but there is no guarantee that he will repeat his heroics against Bournemouth this coming Saturday.

The 25-year-old is not going enhance the quality of the current Arsenal midfield, and it would not make much sense for the Gunners to sign a player who could not make a massive impact at Liverpool.