Stuart Pearce urges Arsenal to sign Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure

Arsenal have been urged to sign Yaya Toure in the summer from Manchester City, with the midfielder likely to leave the club following the arrival of Pep Guardiola. And former England defender Stuart Pearce believes Toure will bring some much needed experience to the Gunners midfield which has been found wanting for ideas this season.

Toure has been an integral figure in the City midfield over the past few years, winning two Premier League titles and leading the Citizens to greater heights. With the player ostensibly available for a transfer this season, he could slot alongside the likes of Francis Coquelin and give the Arsenal midfield the needed support that they have been missing since Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva.

The Gunners, who were top of the league in January, are currently 11 points behind leaders Leicester City and have recently been dumped out of the FA Cup by Watford, a tournament which they won twice in successive years. Pearce believes that Toure's addition would have a galvanising effect on the team much like Petr Cech's transfer, which helped shore up the Gunners defence. He would also hand some much needed mental strength in the team, which Barcelona defender Dani Alves said Arsenal lack.

"On his day Yaya Toure is outstanding," Pearce told talkSPORT. "Arsenal need an old head within the team. Petr Cech has proved a fantastic success this year at Arsenal, and to have a player like Toure at the centre of midfield, as that holding type of player, I think he'd give one or two of the youngsters a bit of a lift. I think he'd be a good signing for them."

Meanwhile, defender Per Mertesacker believes that the north London club need to attack from the front against Barcelona if they have to win at the Nuo Camp, while Laurent Koscielny, back in the first team after missing the last few games, wants the Gunners to play without any pressure.