“I feel frustrated when I lose a duel,” a furious Mikel Arteta shouted at his players after the 2022 FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest. all or nothingare circulating again amid Arsenal’s interest in Mikel Merino.
Arteta has certainly managed to raise the level of competition in his squad over the years. But the qualities mentioned in that explosive rebuke at the City Stadium – commitment, focus, fighting spirit – remain traits he cannot afford to ignore.
Their representative is merino wool.
The 28-year-old, who won the European Cup with Spain this summer, has a knack for winning duels. In fact, he won more trophies with Real Sociedad last season than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. No one came close to his 326 total.
It is worth noting that the second-ranked player on the list, Bruno Guimarães of Newcastle United, has also been a target of Arsenal in recent years. Obviously, winning ability is something the team has always wanted to add in the midfield.
That’s not all merino wool is, either.
Standing at 6ft 2ins, Merino continues Arsenal’s theme of targeting physical players with the arrival of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and most recently Ricardo Calafiore, with strong aerial prowess. And the skill to steal possession of the ball.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany found that out at the Euros when he latched on to Dani Olmo’s cross in the penultimate minute of extra time. A towering header from the cross sealed Spain’s place in the semi-finals.
Although not a regular starter for Luis de la Fuente’s side, Merino became one of only four players – the other four – to feature in all seven games as Spain lifted the trophy It’s Alvaro Morata, Lamine Hjalmar and Mikel Oyarzabal.
“I think that game reflected him very well,” said Miguel Fraño, a former teammate at his boyhood club Osasuna. sky sports.
“He is used to starting games and is very important to the club. But his role at the Euros is different. Although he is not a starter, he shows a lot of humility and understands that he can still play in another way. important role.
“As we saw, he is decisive, especially against Germany and in games where he didn’t score. He just puts the team first and thinks about how he can help. “
Mikel Merino heads in Spain’s quarter-final against Germany
Despite struggling spells at Dortmund and Newcastle, Merino’s rise comes as no surprise to Fraño or anyone who knew him at Osasuna, having broken into the team as an 18-year-old. A key figure in the team’s promotion to the Spanish League.
“Even though he was young, he was the soul of the team,” said Alfredo Sanchez, a former Osasuna player and assistant to then-club coach Enrique Martin. sky sports.
“He has a huge personality and from a football point of view, what you see from him now is what he was then. He has a very active left foot and can adapt to different situations, he can pass the ball, he can beat opponents , he is very strong in the game.
“Mikel has always been a very complete player,” added Franio, another graduate of the club’s academy. “He is technically very good and tactically very smart because he understands football very well.
“His aerial skills are valuable both defensively and offensively at set-pieces. He can really make a difference in those situations.
Merino plays for Real Sociedad against former club Osasuna
“Then, in terms of his mentality, he’s a boy who doesn’t feel pressure and has the personality to step up in big games.”
Merino showed his hunger for big moments when he scored the winning goal against Germany in Stuttgart, celebrating in the same style as his father Ángel, who celebrated in Europe at the same venue 33 years ago. Scored a goal for Osasuna in the game. But this has been evident since his youth.
In fact, it was a run of six goals in eight games for Merino that saw Osasuna promoted in 2016, and although they had agreed to join Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, their midfield talisman helped They advanced to the play-offs.
He is a boy who does not feel pressure and has the personality to step up in important games
“He was unbelievable in those games,” Sanchez recalled. The word Franio used was “decisive.” “That year he exploded at Osasuna,” Franio added. “He drew a lot of attention.”
He did not succeed at Dortmund, where he struggled to win over Thomas Tuchel. Then, after joining Newcastle, an untimely back injury hampered a good start, leaving him behind Jojo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame in Rafael Benitez’s midfield pecking order.
But he’s definitely drawing attention again now.
Merino impressed during his six-year spell at Real Sociedad, during which time his minutes and performance levels have remained consistent, attracting interest from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal this summer.
“You have to be very good in all aspects of the game to get to a level where a lot of big teams are interested,” Sanchez said.
“We are talking about a top player.”
His role in Osasuna’s promotion campaign was as the more attacking player in the pivot of the two midfielders, encouraging runs into the box.
“Before we arrived at the club, he was performing more like a No. 10, but we felt he was not comfortable there,” Sanchez explained. “We brought him back and found the role was a perfect fit for him.”
Merino mainly plays as a left midfielder
However, he subsequently achieved that goal at Real Sociedad, as the left-sided number eight in a midfield three, which is probably more indicative of how he was used at Arsenal.
Arteta’s 4-3-3 system is similar to that of Real Sociedad, and the presence of captain Martin Odegaard adds an additional layer of familiarity. The player’s synergy worked well.
Arsenal hope he can be a belated replacement for the late Granit Xhaka, helping to restore threat and fluidity on the left alongside Calafiore, while also returning Rice to his original role as a number six.
Merino is not an equal replacement for Zaka. He is more physical and less technical. But his passing accuracy at Real Sociedad was relatively low (77%), which can at least partly be explained by his tendency to take risks when passing the ball.
While Merino is able to recycle possession with ease and build up play slowly, he prefers to push the ball forward, which could help Gabriel Martinez, who struggled without Xhaka last season. Has declined somewhat, and is most effective when catching passes from behind.
Merino Pass Radar shows a high percentage of forward passes
His personality is likely another reason why he appeals to Arteta.
Merino’s footballing upbringing took place in Spain’s Navarre region, which borders Arteta’s native Basque country and shares many of the same sporting principles.
“Osasuna players are generally hard-working, competitive players,” explains Franho, who coached the club’s youth academy after his retirement.
“We don’t necessarily stand out as great players, but we are humble, reliable and consistent, which usually pays off in the long run. Mikel has those qualities, but of course the other important thing is that he yes Also great.
“I think Arteta conveyed the same message in the way he spoke to the media and in some of the comments he made.
“You can feel that he really likes players who are hard-working, passionate on the court, not flashy, but understand how to compete and pay attention to details.”
Sanchez was also impressed by the Merino’s competitive nature. “He got a lot of yellow cards because he had a lot of enthusiasm and gave everything,” he said. “But coupled with his equally outstanding defensive and offensive abilities, that’s why he’s where he is today.”
Partly for this reason, those who know him have no doubts about his potential to succeed in England, despite his first spell in the Premier League at Newcastle being short-lived.
“I think he was too young when the opportunity came at Newcastle,” Sanchez said. “Different culture, different structure, different tee times. He experienced it all at a young age.
Merino made 25 appearances for Newcastle, scoring once
“I think he is better prepared now. He has more experience, has played more games at club level and internationally and he is physically stronger.
“I could see him playing well anywhere but I think he would be a perfect fit for Arsenal because of their system and style, with a lot of possession and a lot of chances to get into the box. I think he would love that.”
“Remember, we are talking about a top player who never hides.”
Arteta will also note that he is not one to shy away from a duel either.
