Paul Merson has bizarrely suggested Arsenal try for a Sergio Agüero-Alexis Sanchez swap deal, despite the obvious reasons it won’t happen.

Agüero hasn’t always started for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola this season. Despite breaking the club’s record goalscoring tally, the 29-year-old has only completed seven league games. Guardiola regularly benches or substitutes him, and Merson thinks that could mean he’s off this summer.

The former Gunner told Sky Sports: “Yeah I think so, I do (Aguero will be allowed to leave). I don’t think he (Guardiola) fancies him that much, I don’t think he’s his biggest fan. When he first come in he didn’t work for the team, he left him out. Then he went and bought (Gabriel) Jesus for a lot of money.

paul merson
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson. Picture: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

“I think he’ll be gone. As an ex-Arsenal player, I’d like that to be the bait for Sanchez because I still think this bloke is different class.”

There are a number of reasons why a swap deal makes no sense. Firstly, Arsenal have just signed Alexandre Lacazette for a club record fee. The two can’t fit in the same team unless the Gunners change formation. Neither can play out wide, so why would Wenger try to replace a player he’s just bought?

Secondly, Alexis’ contract expires at the end of the season. Agüero may only have a year longer left at City, but they’d be pretty foolish to let such a top striker go, just to get a player who could join for free in six months.

Thirdly, there are plenty of clubs the Argentine could go to all over Europe. He’d even fit in at most clubs in England too. So why he’d join the team five places below his current team without Champions League football, I don’t know.

Finally, his wages would be massive. According to Total Sportek, Arsenal would have to pay an extra £80,000 a week to swap the two players. That’s if Agüero doesn’t want a wage increase.

Considering the above points, I can’t see any way this deal happens, so Merson may as well have suggested the Gunners swap Alexis for Messi. It’s a nice idea, but nothing more.