How Mikel Merino will make a difference in Arsenal's midfield

Soon after Arsenal officially announced the signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad for a fee that could reach $41 million, the Gunners were dealt a blow. The Spanish international picked up an injury this week in one of his first training sessions, ruling him out until mid-September.

It’s a blow for Arsenal, but hopefully the shoulder injury isn’t a fracture. If so, it may mean a longer wait until he makes his Arsenal debut.

When he’s ready, Merino will have a significant impact on Arsenal’s midfield. After all, before signing him, Arsenal didn’t have a natural number eight in their squad. Yes, a team that took the title race to the final day didn’t have a natural central midfielder in their squad.

Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta has finally got his man. There’s hope that Merino could finally stabilize that left-hand side and potentially unlock Gabriel Martinelli to play back to his best. 

A Season of Tactical Adjustments in Midfield

Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, and Leandro Trossard have all been used in that left ‘8’ position throughout last season. But it was Declan Rice being the superior option. Havertz was then shifted to striker, where he ended the season strong and started this one in a similar vein.

The German was initially brought in to replace Granit Xhaka, who himself had an illustrious season and became an ‘Invincible’, but for Bayer Leverkusen.

Havertz struggled to adapt in the first part of the season. He scored only six goals and a total of zero assists in all competitions playing as a midfielder. Compare that to the eight goals and seven assists in only 18 appearances as the central striker. An impressive return, all things considered.

Our Pick: Includes: Exclusive Premier League games, USMNT/USWNT & Women's World Cup in Spanish, & More
Sign Up

This meant that Declan Rice had to fill that left central midfield position. But this seemed to pay off, with the Englishman hitting his highest goal and assist tally in his career (17).

Whether Declan Rice will shift back to the defensive midfielder position is still uncertain, but all signs suggest he will. Rice’s physical attributes and Havertz’s technical skills mirror the skill set that Mikel Merino offers in conjunction. A true box-to-box midfielder. 

Mikel Merino and Arsenal can unleash Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli had a tough season last year. Saying he struggled is an understatement. The previous season, he scored 15 non-penalty goals, tying with Firmino for the most by a Brazilian in the Premier League. Last season, however, his goal tally dropped significantly to just six.

Several factors contributed to this decline, including a lack of service, difficulty building a connection with the closest midfielder, and eventually losing his place to Trossard.

With Merino now in the left attacking zone, Martinelli might finally form a crucial partnership, similar to the one he had with Xhaka in 2022/23. The question is whether Merino can replicate that successful connection.

As seen above, Xhaka loved to occupy that specific zone. He only has one thing on his mind: finding Martinelli. It may seem simple to play that through ball, but the weight of the pass is intricate and allowed the Brazilian to create separation to score. Merino has that ability to be just as imperative in the final third, as shown below. 

You’ll quickly notice from both images that both players are scanning for the winger before receiving the ball. Merino’s pass was exquisite, which made the winger attack that left wing. Martinelli probably missed that last season due to the lack of time to create a relationship on the pitch with whoever is playing that position, whereas Xhaka was a mainstay.

The duel-winning machine 

If you’ve watched the All or Nothing Amazon documentary on Arsenal, you’ll know how much Arteta loves his duels. Or how much he dislikes when he loses them. The cameras caught him after Arsenal’s shock early exit to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup in 2022, and he had a lot to say in the changing room. 

“When I lose a duel, I am upset. When I lose the small-sided games, I am upset.”

Well, his namesake loves them just as much. Mikel Merino ranks the highest number of ‘duels won’ in 2023/24 across Europe’s top seven leagues, and was the only player to win more than 300+ with 326 (Squakwa). The ‘duels won’ stat measures how often a player successfully wins physical battles for the ball against an opponent, whether it’s during tackles, aerial challenges, or 50/50 situations.

Arsenal’s Mikel Merino is not only a technical genius but dominates his duels. This is a rare combination for your typical Spanish central midfielder. He brings a wealth of experience from his time in Spain, where he became the captain of Real Sociedad. So returning to play soccer in England is a full-circle moment for him.

Following the official announcement of his signing, childhood photos of Merino surfaced. They showed him in an Arsenal jersey from 2005, a year after their last title win.

Now, nearly two decades later, Mikel Merino joins Arsenal to help push them closer to winning the title once again. 

Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire