Paul Merson thinks his former club Arsenal are 20 years from winning another Premier League title.
The Gunners are currently 13 points off league leaders Liverpool and are fifth in the table despite Unai Emery’s decent start as manager.
Arsenal last won the Premier League title in 2003-04 in the ‘Invincibles’ season that saw Arsene Wenger’s side go the whole campaign without tasting defeat.
Merson, who won two First Division titles with Arsenal, thinks the current crop of players are “million miles away” from Premier League glory.
When asked how far away Arsenal are from winning the Premier League title, Merson told Sky Sports: “What do you think? 20 years.
“They’re a million miles away at the moment and the way it is going right now they probably need seven players to compete.
“I don’t see them winning again for a long, long time.”
Merson also claimed it is a “football crime” for Arsenal to let Aaron Ramsey leave on a free transfer.
“Letting Ramsey leave is just bad, bad club management isn’t it,” Merson added.
“To let player contracts run out in this day and age for how much these players go for and how much they’re worth is criminal.
Pumped up and ready for another big week 💪#MondayMotivation 👊 pic.twitter.com/Wvai9mIvBH
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 7, 2019
“To let him leave the club and walk away for free, somebody in his prime leaving for nothing, it’s a football crime.
“Now they have got to replace him and that will cost money but until the Ozil problem gets sorted out they are going to find it difficult to bring in players.
“Because if they bid £50-60m for someone, the first thing the player will say is well I want what Ozil is getting.
“And when the club says you aren’t getting that then the player will just say well I’m not coming then. And that is what happened with Ramsey.”