With reports suggesting that Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino could be on his way to Arsenal, let’s delve into the intriguing career trajectory of Merino.
When Mikel Merino scored a dramatic late winner for Spain against Germany in the Euro 2024 quarter-final, many in England had a similar reaction:
“Is he the guy who used to play for Newcastle?”
Indeed, he is. But he’s also much more than that.
By the time he turned 22, Merino had already played for Osasuna, Borussia Dortmund, and Newcastle United. Shortly after his 22nd birthday, he joined Real Sociedad, where he has spent the past six years.
How old is Mikel Merino?
28
His notable performances in La Liga and his impressive showings at Euro 2024 have now linked him with a potential move to Arsenal, where he could help Mikel Arteta’s squad challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.
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From Newcastle to Stardom: Mikel Merino’s Journey and Impact
Merino’s time in England was brief, with just one season at Newcastle after Rafael Benítez signed him. His initial loan from Dortmund was made permanent during the 2017-18 season.
In his 25 appearances across all competitions, Merino scored once and provided one assist. Among Newcastle players who featured at least five times that season, Merino led in interceptions per 90 minutes (2.3), possession regains per 90 (9.5), and passes attempted per 90 (55.7). Only Mohamed Diamé had a better pass accuracy (81.5%) compared to Merino’s 79.8%.
Despite his solid performances, he moved to Real Sociedad at the end of that season, where he finally found a long-term home.
This summer, Merino was part of the impressive Spain squad that achieved success at Euro 2024 under Luis de la Fuente, and he also had his moment of glory.
Coming on as a substitute in Spain’s quarter-final clash against Germany, Merino made a decisive impact late in the match. In the 119th minute in Stuttgart, Dani Olmo delivered a cross into the box, allowing Merino to maneuver his body and head in the winning goal.
His celebration was almost as memorable as the goal itself, mirroring the actions of his father, Ángel Miguel Merino, who had celebrated in the same stadium 33 years earlier by circling the corner flag after scoring for Osasuna against Stuttgart.
Merino was one of just four players to appear in all seven of Spain’s matches in Germany, though he started only once. He proved to be a valuable asset off the bench for De la Fuente, with only Fabián Ruiz and Rodri winning possession more frequently per 90 minutes among outfield players who played in more than one game.
At the club level, Merino has established himself as a key player for Real Sociedad. In the 2021-22 season, he led all outfield players in La Liga with 287 recoveries, surpassing even Sergio Busquets, who had 281. In the 2022-23 season, only Antoine Griezmann, with 16 assists in 38 games, had more assists in La Liga than Merino, who recorded nine assists in 33 games, matching Vinícius Júnior’s tally.
287 – Outfield players with the most recoveries in @LaLigaEN 2021/2022:
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 31, 2022
287 – Mikel Merino 🇪🇸
281 – Sergio Busquets 🇪🇸
278 – 'Pacha' Espino 🇺🇾
234 – Javi Galán 🇪🇸
234 – Johan Mojica 🇨🇴
Scythe. ⛏️ pic.twitter.com/VGBNpm1yFZ
He also played alongside Arsenal star Martin Ødegaard in 34 competitive matches for Real Sociedad during the 2019-20 season (2,898 minutes). Together, they were part of a formidable team that secured a sixth-place finish in La Liga and won the Copa del Rey, the club’s first major trophy since 1982.
While Ødegaard moved on to become a key player in the Premier League, Merino stayed in the Basque Country, though they could potentially be reunited soon.
Imanol Alguacil’s side had substantial possession, recording the fifth-highest average possession in La Liga last season at 55.5%. The midfield tempo was largely dictated by Martín Zubimendi and Beñat Turrientes, who had open-play passing accuracies of 85.7% and 87.1%, respectively. Merino, by contrast, completed 77.3% of his open-play passes in La Liga, lagging behind fellow midfielder Brais Méndez, who had an accuracy of 81.0%.
Addressing Concerns: Merino’s Passing Accuracy and Potential for Arsenal
Last season, Merino completed 79 progressive passes in the league, with only Zubimendi (86) surpassing him among La Real midfielders. However, Merino excelled in flick-ons, recording 124, the highest in La Liga. The nearest competitor was Osasuna’s Ante Budimir with 32, well below Merino’s successful flick-on total of 47.
The 28-year-old demonstrated his aerial prowess with his decisive goal for Spain that knocked out Germany in this summer’s European Championship, and the statistics support this.
In Europe’s top five leagues last season, only Cádiz’s Chris Ramos (600) contested more duels than Merino (581), with Merino winning a solid 56.1% of them. The only other players who competed in at least 500 duels and had a better than 50% success rate were West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus (52.5%) and Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães (56.8%).
Merino’s strength in aerial duels could be particularly beneficial for Arsenal, who frequently leverage set-pieces. He made the first contact on 10 attacking corners for Real Sociedad last season, the second-highest for La Real and also had first contact on 14 defensive corners. Among players in Spain’s top flight, only six made contact with a higher percentage of defensive corners than Merino’s 10.2%, and only 11 players recorded more clearances from corners than his 13.
Many of Merino’s duels were aerial. Among La Liga midfielders who played at least 15 games, only Athletic Club’s Raúl García (10.7) contested more aerial duels per 90 minutes than Merino’s 10.1, and no one won more per 90 minutes than his 6.1.
This attribute could be advantageous for an Arsenal team that relies on aerial superiority, especially from set-pieces. Merino scored three headed goals last season; among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, only Benjamin André (5), Jude Bellingham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Scott McTominay (all 4) scored more.
However, it remains to be seen how many aerial duels Merino would have the opportunity to engage in within the Premier League, as no Arsenal midfielder contested more than 2.4 aerial duels per 90 last season, less than a quarter of Merino’s 10.1.
Last season, the midfielder won possession 7.1 times per 90 minutes, a figure almost identical to that of former Arsenal player Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder, playing for Xabi Alonso’s impressive Bayer Leverkusen, won possession 7.2 times per 90 in 2023-24. This similarity suggests that Arteta might view Merino as a potential successor to Xhaka, who departed the Emirates Stadium last summer.
If Merino does join Arsenal, he would likely be considered an alternative to Declan Rice. Rice thrived in a more advanced midfield role on the left during the latter part of last season, which aligns with Merino’s usual position at Sociedad.
Arsenal fans might have concerns about Merino’s 77.3% open-play pass completion rate from last season, especially when compared to Declan Rice and Thomas Partey, who both had rates exceeding 90% in the Premier League, and Jorginho’s 89.9%. Even the more attacking Martin Ødegaard recorded 86.1% accuracy.
Despite the differences in playing styles between Mikel Arteta’s team and Real Sociedad, Merino’s lower percentage isn’t due to a propensity for risky passes. Of his 1,402 passes in La Liga during 2023-24, only 519 (37%) were forward passes, while 562 (40.1%) were made in his half, and just 60 (4.3%) were long passes.
A comparison of his pass accuracy under pressure in the Champions League with Rice’s last season shows that Merino wasn’t as precise in these situations, which may be attributed to Rice’s teammates being more available for passes.
It’s worth noting that Merino’s passing accuracy for Spain at Euro 2024 was 83.0%, slightly lower than the impressive Dani Olmo’s 83.2%, but still respectable within La Roja’s squad.
If he returns to the Premier League, Merino will likely be eager to dispel any notion that he was a ‘flop’ at Newcastle, a label that was always somewhat unjust.
Arsenal have generally excelled in their recent transfer dealings and will hope that Merino can contribute effectively and make a significant impact for them, much like he did for Spain this summer.
