Paul Merson has said the likes of Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud should follow Philippe Coutinho’s example at Liverpool and hand in transfer requests.

Paul Merson has decided to compare apples and oranges.

In his latest spiel on Soccer Saturday, Merson said the likes of Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud should follow Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho’s example and hand in transfer requests.

“They’re all happy,” Merson said, reports the Express. “You say about keeping them happy, they’re not fussed, you never see any of them wanting to leave.

“If I was Walcott I would be doing what Coutinho is doing now and saying ‘I want a transfer, I’m not playing, I want to play football’.

“But they don’t do they, they just sit there, it’s nice isn’t it’, it’s just lovely. It is, it’s nice, they’re loved.

“I feel sorry for Giroud because he is France’s centre-forward and the problem will be if he doesn’t play this season, will he go to the World Cup? All these footballers will be looking at that this season.”

The two situations aren’t even remotely similar. Coutinho is asking to leave Liverpool so he can make the step-up to Barcelona. He had to hand in a transfer request because Liverpool refused to sell him.

Neither Walcott or Giroud are in that position. A transfer request makes no discernible difference to them, as neither them would be considered unsellable by Arsenal.

Moreover, Walcott and Giroud are at the highest level they can be at the moment. A move from Arsenal now would almost certainly be a step-down.

There are several players who need to leave Arsenal this summer, but it’s nonsense that they have to force their way out the club when the club aren’t even standing in their way.

The Gunners are struggling to offload the deadwood that have been put up for sale this summer as it is.