Arsenal legend insists Premier League giants should ‘worry’ about Newcastle United

Arsenal legend Paul Merson believes Manchester United should be more concerned with Newcastle United, rather than traditional top four rivals Chelsea.

The 13-time Premier League champions have endured a difficult start to the new Premier League season after emerging pointless from games and Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford.

The 4-0 defeat suffered against the latter saw new Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag hand a first start of the season to Cristiano Ronaldo as speculation mounts over his future at Old Trafford.

A number of clubs have been linked with a move for the forward, who is said to be keen to secure a move to a club competing in this season’s Champions League before the end of the summer transfer window.

Spanish club Atletico Madrid are believed to have made an enquiry over a controversial move for a player that enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at cross-city rivals Real Madrid.

But Chelsea are also reportedly keen on offering Ronaldo an opportunity to return to European football’s elite competition and that has provoked an intriguing response from former Arsenal and Middlesbrough forward Merson.

Asked whether the Red Devils should consider selling the Portugal international to ‘rivals’ Chelsea, Merson told Sky Sports: “Why is it their rival? They’re not top four rivals, they’re a million miles off they’re not going to get in the top four.

“They’ve got to worry about making sure they don’t sell to Newcastle. They’ve got to start worrying about the club full stop, I’m not being horrible. They’ve got to start walking again. Don’t start sprinting and worrying about the top four.

“There’s ways of losing football matches and you can’t be losing 4-0 to Brentford and that’s no disrespect.”

Newcastle will hope to continue their solid start to the season when reigning champions Manchester City visit St James Park this coming Sunday.