Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson has claimed that Mikel Arteta being handed the managerial job with the Gunners is "like Conor McGregor trying to fight Floyd Mayweather".

Arteta was confirmed as the London club's new boss on Friday, taking the position previously held by Freddie Ljungberg on an interim basis.

Merson recently said that his former club were making a "big, big gamble" by considering the Spaniard, and the 51-year-old is deeply concerned by the new head coach's lack of experience.

"Mikel Arteta taking on the Arsenal job is like Conor McGregor trying to fight Floyd Mayweather. It's one of the biggest jobs in football and you're giving it to someone who has never managed in his life!" Merson told the Daily Star.

"Mikel is a lovely bloke and I'm sure he's a very good coach. For him it's a job you just can't turn down. But good coaches don't always make good managers. You see it time and time again. And he has no experience at all.

"If the Arsenal board think they are suddenly going to start playing like Manchester City just because Arteta has worked with Pep Guardiola for a bit, they need to wake up and smell the coffee."

Arteta will watch from the stands as Arsenal face Everton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.