Mikel Merino has easily fit the Arsenal team by his impact in the midfield. He joined the club in the summer of 2024 and his previous team Real Sociedad. The 29-year old Spaniard has become a talismanic figure, combining tenacity and clinical finishing that has seen him play midfield despite his nominal position of midfield.
Performance Highlights: Goals and Grit
The numbers of the 2025/26 season of Merino are impressive. He has scored eight goals in the Premier League, the most in the Arsenal team. He has one in the UCL, which gives him total of nine goals and two assistance opportunities in both tournaments. Five of his PL objectives are headers with aerial prowess in a team lacking traditional dominance. His most recent heroic acts were during the 1-1 draw against London derierys at Chelsea. There, he scored a towering header a full 11 minutes after Trevoh Chalobah had scored to give Arsenal the lead, but was recognized as man-of-the-match in spite of his tiredness.
From Midfield Enforcer to False Nine?
Talks swirl around Merino’s versatility. BBC Sport pondered if he could be Arsenal’s No. 9, citing his goal threat amid Kai Havertz‘s injuries. After Chelsea, the pundits also sang his praises on his goal knack and ability to stay cool in the face of pressure. X users gush: “Mikel Merino is the next one underestimated, his derby performance is how Arsenal should fight back. Arteta commended his enormous adaptation indicating a hybrid role.
Why Merino Over Gyokeres in Big Games?
It is the theory of Theo Walcott. He believes that Arteta is confident Merino will play the second choice striker in high-stakes matches. While Viktor Gyokeres, the 85m summer sign at Arsenal, would be the supersub. His experience (e.g., the rescue at Chelsea) and his ability to connect with the goalkeeper (Link-up) are what gets Merino an upper hand over Gyokeres, despite his physicality creating open spaces.Walcott advises Gyokeres to learn a lot about him because his hamstring issues are still there. As Havertz nears return, Merino’s false-nine experiments could also redefine Arsenal’s attack.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
