“He would fit perfectly into Arsenal’s humble squad” - Emmanuel Petit urges Arteta to drop interest in Merino and sign ex-Chelsea star instead

Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has advised Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to drop his interest in Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino and sign ex-Chelsea man N'golo Kante instead. The 53-year-old claimed that the 2018 World Cup champion would 'fit perfectly' into the Gunners' 'humble squad' due to his experience and quality.

A key contributor in Leicester City's fairytale Premier League victory in 2015-16, Kante left for Chelsea after just one season at the King Power Stadium. He would make 269 appearances for the Blues, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the world at the time.

At Stamford Bridge, he lifted six trophies, including an EPL title (2016-17), a Europa League title (2018-19) and a Champions League title (2020-21) among others. He is renowned for his tenacity, stamina, commitment, passing vision and tackling, and is loved by many for his calm and jovial demeanor.

Petit, who played for both Arsenal (118 games, 1997-2000) and Chelsea (76 games, 2001-2004), petitioned the Gunners to make a move for Kante. in a recent interview with Safest Casino Sites, he highlighted what the 33-year-old could bring to the North Londoners' squad, saying (via Now Arsenal):

"I watched Merino closely during the Euros and in the Champions League against PSG last season. While he could adapt to the Premier League like Rodri, there’s also a risk he could struggle with the physicality here."

"If Arsenal want a player who can truly compete in midfield, they should bring back N’Golo Kante. Kante's spirit, game-reading ability, and capacity to break opposition lines remain top-notch. He would fit perfectly into Arsenal's humble squad and be a fantastic asset for Mikel Arteta," Petit concluded.

Having already signed Bologna's Riccardo Calafiori and made David Raya's loan move from Brentford permanent, Arteta is expected to continue trengthening his squad before the transfer deadline.

"He can become the French Van Dijk" - Former Arsenal man Emmanuel Petit heaps praise on Gunners' French star

In an interview with Safest Casino Sites, Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit lavished praise on Gunners defender William Saliba. The former midfielder claimed that the 23-year-old could potentially become as good as Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk in the future.

Petit admitted that Saliba's performances for France in their run to the EURO 2024 semi-finals was a 'nice surprise'. He said that the youngster was already the 'spine' at both club and international level, which reminded him of a younger version of the Netherlands captain.

The 1998 World Cup winner said (via DAZN):

"William Saliba has grown so much already and still has a lot of potential. Saliba was a nice surprise in the French national team and his improvement has been amazing. He does remind me of when Van Dijk was a bit younger, playing for a huge club like Liverpool and is the spine for club and country. Saliba is already one of the best leaders and defenders in the Premier League, he can become the French Van Dijk, but he's not quite there right now."

Up next, Saliba will be seen in action when Arsenal take on Aston Villa in a mouth-watering Premier League clash on August 24.