Arsenal failure to buy £25m Danny Ings baffles Merson

Sports pundit Paul Merson is baffled that Arsenal failed to grab Danny Ings from Southampton this summer.

The 29-year-old agreed a three-year deal at Aston Villa earlier in the transfer window as he completed a £25m move from the Saints.

Villa will be relatively happy with their transfer business this summer whereas many Gunners fans have been left dissatisfied despite the club spending £147m on new players.

Arsenal brought in Nuno Tavares, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Ben White, Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu during the summer.

Merson has already made his feelings known on their overall transfer business and he has revealed their lack of interest in Ings worried him.

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Merson said on Sky Sports: “Look at Everton with Rafa now, they’re going to be hard to beat, West Ham look decent, it’s not as easy as it used to be, it’s not a free ride anymore where you go, top four, five or six.

“You look at Aston Villa they’ve got Danny Ings, why have Arsenal not got Danny Ings? . I worry about the recruitment, I worry about that.”

Arsenal are bottom of the Premier League after losing their opening three fixtures and failing to score a single goal.