Arsenal legend Paul Merson thinks the club should sack Arsene Wenger if either Tottenham Hotspur or Leicester City beat them to the Premier League title. The 47-year-old pundit said the longest-serving manager in the top flight ought to be elbowed out if the Gunners fail to win the league.

The former Gunner is especially unhappy with the lack of recruitment last summer.

Arsenal have not been crowned champions since 2004 and are five points adrift of Leicester following Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at an injury-hit Manchester United, while Spurs stayed within two points of Claudio Ranieri’s surprise leaders after a 2-1 comeback victory.

“If Man City don’t win the league and Tottenham or Leicester do then Arsene Wenger has to go,” he told Sky Sports.

“If you’re sitting there telling those fans – loyal Arsenal fans – that they don’t need any new players at the start of the season and then you don’t win the league in front of Leicester or Tottenham then I don’t see how you can justify it.

“If Man City win the league he can turn around and say ‘they’ve got all the money in the world and can go and buy whoever they want, so would whoever I bought have made much difference?’.

“But if Leicester or Tottenham win the league after he said they didn’t need any players then I don’t see how he can keep his job.

“People may say there’s nobody better than him, but there’s a thousand managers who could come in and get Arsenal in the top four.

“A thousand managers would come to Arsenal and say ‘don’t give me a penny, but if I get Arsenal in the top four then pay me 10 million quid’.

“Every football manager in the world would take that deal. Arsenal are always going to get in the top four.