Paul Merson has said that Arsenal must let Alexis Sanchez go and ask for Sergio Aguero in return.

• He believes Arsenal should demand Aguero in return for Alexis
• He gives no reason why City would accept these demands
• This fantasy swap deal is not happening

It’s the middle of July, pre-season is in full swing and we’re still entertaining the idea that Arsenal and Manchester City could swap Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero.

Former Arsenal player and current pundit Paul Merson has given his view on the Alexis situation, and he believes that the club should not keep hold of a player who doesn’t want to be there.

“If someone doesn’t want to be at the club, Arsenal are a big club and you don’t want players who don’t want to be there,” he said. “Arsenal are a big club, a very big club and you don’t want that.”

It is, of course, not as simple as that. Arsenal would be letting go of a forward who scored 30 goals and provided 13 assists. Players as productive as that are hardly lying around waiting to be signed.

Merson, though, has offered the simplest and most unrealistic solution. “He’s a good player – if I were Arsenal I’d be ringing up Man City and saying ‘Give us Aguero and you can have Sanchez’. [If Alexis wants to go to Man City] then I’d say I want Aguero. He’s better than Sanchez.”

Get Merson in charge of the negotiations. Somehow, I can’t imagine Manchester City giving into such demands.