Paul Merson tells Arsenal that £60m Lukaku transfer is perfect striker solution

Arsenal have been told to solve their striker crisis this summer by making a £60m bid for Chelsea flop Romelu Lukaku.

Gunners great Paul Merson, who won five major trophies with the club as a player, reckons Lukaku could solve Mikel Arteta's problems. Arsenal got rid of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January and waved goodbye to Alexandre Lacazette this week, and badly need to sign a striker.

Lukaku flopped las season after making a £97.5m return to Stamford Bridge, scoring just eight Premier League goals and falling behind Kai Havertz in the pecking order. But Merson believes he could still be just what the doctor ordered for Arsenal - and says they should test Chelsea's willingness to sell to a rival.

Writing in his online Daily Star column, Merson said: "Arsenal should make a cheeky £60m bid for Romelu Lukaku this summer. Because if Chelsea are so desperate to let him go that they're talking about loaning him to Inter Milan, surely they would take the money!

"Arsenal haven't had someone who is big and strong and dynamic like that since Kevin Campbell. I know he hasn't scored a lot of goals this season but Lukaku is an elite goalscorer. Arsenal play great football up to the edge of the box but then it often fizzles out.

"Arsenal go through the lines. They want their striker on the edge of the box. It would suit him. They could roll it into him and he doesn't have to get involved in the build-up too much. He doesn't have to come too short and help build the play. I would be chasing Lukaku hard if I was Arsenal. I'd be trying my hardest. You don't have to do too much running at Arsenal.

"The way they play you want the centre forward to be up front and stay there. Arsenal have runners who could get in behind him and supply him with crosses. I would like to think Arsenal is a club Lukaku would consider. They're talking about him going back to Inter Milan. But Arsenal are as big a club as Inter.

"Arsenal may not be in the Champions League next season, but Inter are not winning it are they? Let's be honest. Players choose these places because it's easy. He knows he would score bundles of goals in Italy because it's a doddle. He'd be playing against teams that will lie down.

"The Premier League is not like that. It's hard enough to score against Norwich. But Lukaku would score goals for Arsenal. If he wants to be, Lukaku could still be a world beater. But it's all down to him. Does he want to be a world beater? I don't know. Only he can answer that.

"I think he needs to be loved. I think he needs an arm round him, and a manager who tells him how good he is all the time.

"Maybe Mikel Arteta is the man to do that - because he's not getting that from Thomas Tuchel. Whatever happens, Arsenal need to buy a striker in this window. I've said before they are one world class striker away from being real contenders.

"And now Alexandre Lacazette has gone it's even more important they get one."

Merson reckons Lacazette has ultimately been a disappointment at Arsenal, who paid Lyon a then club record fee of £46.5m to sign him in 2017.

Merse said: "I don't think Lacazette ever fulfilled his potential at Arsenal. He could have done more. He should have done more. At times he'd do things and you'd think: 'Wow what a player.' But he just didn't do enough. It's a disappointing way to bow out there really.

"This is a big summer for Arsenal because they missed out on the Champions League and they need to make signings. But the number one priority has to be signing a striker who has a proven record of scoring goals in big leagues - and Lukaku certainly has that."