Although they haven’t yet won the Premier League, Arsenal has advanced significantly over the past few years, and it now seems more a matter of when than if.
With players like Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka, the Gunners have a truly impressive team thanks to the revitalization of Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar.
Notwithstanding the progress, there is still a gap in Arsenal’s midfield that needs to be filled after Granit Xhaka left last summer, Kai Havertz changed positions, and Thomas Partey may leave this summer.
It follows that the most recent player linked to a move to N5 would be the ideal addition to Arteta’s midfield trio.
News about Arsenal transfers
Arsenal is interested in acquiring Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino this summer, according to a recent Spanish rumour.
According to Juanmarti, Arteta is very keen to get the Spanish international to the Emirates, and after talks, the player has reportedly been “seduced” by what the Gunners are offering.
In a piece for Sport, the journalist continues by revealing that if the North Londoners made an offer of about €25 million, or £21 million, the Basque team might be inclined to sell.
Even if the player’s name may not be very well-known to Premier League supporters, Arteta’s desire to sign him, the fair transfer fee, and the opportunity to strengthen the team’s midfield make this look like a deal too good to refuse.
How Merino could complete the midfield for Arsenal
Thus, Rice and Odegaard are currently Arsenal’s two midfielders who are almost guaranteed a spot in the starting eleven each week.
The former captained West Ham United to a European trophy from a defensive midfield position and then, upon moving to N5, swapped between sometimes playing as a six and sometimes an eight.
However, he did start as the former 30 times for the Gunners last season, and when speaking to TNT Sport (via talkSPORT), he claimed it was his “best position” on the pitch, so it makes sense to keep him there.
On the other hand, the club captain has firmly established himself at the tip of the midfield trio for Arteta, racking up an impressive haul of 44 goals and assists over the last two campaigns.
Therefore, the final position that needs to be sorted out is central midfield, or the left eight, which is where the “underrated” Merino, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, comes in.
The Sociedad player averaged a goal every 2.81 games last season with 45 appearances, 38 of which were starts in centre midfield. He finished the season with eight goals and five assists.
Though this is unquestionably impressive for a deeper player, the manager of Arsenal was likely more interested in the other aspect of his game—the quantity of duels he won the previous season.
Squawka claims that the 23-cap international, who finished with an astounding 326 duels won, was the only player in the top seven leagues in Europe to have won over 300 duels.
Mattinson’s assertion that the Spaniard is “effective in all 3 phases” is supported by the fact that you can nearly see him helping Rice break up play in the middle of the park before driving forward and assisting Odegaard in creating another beautiful chance.
In the end, it appears that Arsenal will require a new all-action number eight this summer. Considering Merino’s price tag and his season-ending displays, signing him is an obvious choice.