“After I lose a duel, I’m upset,” yelled a livid Mikel Arteta at his gamers following an FA Cup loss to Nottingham Forest in 2022. The dressing-room scene, captured in All or Nothing, has been circulating once more amid Arsenal’s curiosity in Mikel Merino.
Arteta has in fact succeeded in elevating the aspect’s aggressive requirements within the intervening years. However the qualities talked about in that explosive dressing-down on the Metropolis Floor – dedication, focus, combativeness – stay his non-negotiables.
And they’re typified by Mikel Merino.
The 28-year-old, a European Championship winner with Spain this summer time, specialises in profitable duels. The truth is, final season with Actual Sociedad, he gained extra of them than every other participant in Europe’s top-five leagues. No person even obtained near his whole of 326.
It’s price noting that the next-highest participant on the checklist, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, has additionally been a goal for Arsenal in recent times. Evidently, duel-winning capacity is one thing the membership have been wanting so as to add of their midfield.
It’s not all Merino presents, both.
Standing at 6ft 2ins, persevering with a theme of Arsenal concentrating on bodily imposing gamers following the additions of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and, most just lately, Riccardo Calafiori, Merino boasts formidable aerial energy in addition to a knack for stealing possession.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany discovered that out on the European Championship, when, following a late run into the field, one other of Merino’s emblems, he produced a towering header from Dani Olmo’s cross to clinch Spain’s semi-final spot within the penultimate minute of extra-time.
Merino, though not a daily starter for Luis de la Fuente’s aspect, would end the match as one in every of solely 4 gamers – together with Alvaro Morata, Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal – to function in all seven of Spain’s video games as they lifted the trophy.
“I believe that match was a superb reflection of him,” Miguel Flaño, a former team-mate at his boyhood membership Osasuna, tells Sky Sports activities.
“He’s used to beginning video games and being crucial for his membership. However his position on the European Championship was one thing totally different. Though he wasn’t a starter, he confirmed a whole lot of humility, understanding he might nonetheless be essential in one other approach.
“And as we noticed, he was decisive, most of all along with his purpose in opposition to Germany but in addition within the video games when he did not rating. He simply places the staff first and thinks about how he may help.”
Mikel Merino headed Spain’s winner of their quarter-final in opposition to Germany
Merino’s rise to prominence, albeit after troublesome spells with Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle, is not any shock to Flaño, or anybody who knew him again at Osasuna, the place, having damaged into the staff at 18, he was a key determine of their promotion to Spain’s prime flight in 2016.
“He was the soul of the staff, regardless of being very younger,” Alfredo Sanchez, a former Osasuna participant and assistant to Enrique Martin, the membership’s supervisor on the time, tells Sky Sports activities.
“He had large character and, in soccer phrases, what you see from him now’s what he was then. Very energetic on his left foot, adaptable to totally different conditions, he can cross, he can beat a person, he’s sturdy within the air, and he is aware of when to reach within the field.”
“Mikel was all the time a really full participant,” provides Flaño, one other graduate of the membership’s academy. “He’s technically excellent and he’s tactically very clever as a result of he understands soccer so properly.
“His aerial sport is effective each in defensive and attacking set-pieces. He can actually make the distinction in these conditions.
Merino in motion for Actual Sociedad in opposition to former membership Osasuna
“After which, by way of his mentality, he’s a boy who would not really feel strain and has the character to step up in essential video games.”
Merino confirmed his urge for food for the large moments along with his winner in opposition to Germany in Stuttgart, celebrated within the model of his father, Angel, who scored for Osasuna in a European tie on the similar floor 33 years earlier. But it surely has been obvious since his youth.
Certainly, it was solely due to a run of six objectives in eight video games by Merino that Osasuna achieved their promotion in 2016, their midfield talisman serving to them go up by way of the play-offs regardless of having already agreed to hitch Dortmund on the finish of the marketing campaign.
He’s a boy who would not really feel strain and has the character to step up in essential video games
“He was unbelievable in these video games,” remembers Sanchez. “Decisive,” is the phrase utilized by Flaño. “That was the 12 months he exploded at Osasuna,” Flaño provides. “He attracted a whole lot of consideration.”
It didn’t work out for him at Dortmund, the place he struggled to win over Thomas Tuchel. Then, after becoming a member of Newcastle, a poorly-timed again harm stalled a brilliant begin and left him beneath Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame in Rafael Benitez’s midfield pecking order.
However he’s actually attracting consideration once more now.
Merino, wonderful over the course of a six-year spell at Actual Sociedad, throughout which he has been constant by way of his availability in addition to his stage of efficiency, has drawn curiosity from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid this summer time in addition to Arsenal.
“You need to be excellent in all aspects of the sport to achieve the extent the place you will have curiosity from so many massive groups,” says Sanchez.
“We’re speaking a few prime, prime participant.”
His position in Osasuna’s promotion-winning marketing campaign was because the extra attack-minded of two midfield pivots, inspired to make runs into the field.
“He had been enjoying extra like a No 10 earlier than we arrived on the membership however we felt he was uncomfortable there,” explains Sanchez. “We moved him again and located that position to be ultimate for him.”
Merino has performed largely as a left-sided midfielder
It’s the one he has subsequently fulfilled at Actual Sociedad, although, because the left-sided No 8 in a midfield three, which is extra most likely extra indicative of how he may be used at Arsenal.
Arteta’s 4-3-3 system is much like Actual Sociedad’s and the presence of captain Martin Odegaard, a participant with whom Merino mixed to good impact throughout the Norwegian’s mortgage spell from Actual Madrid in 2019/20, provides one other layer of familiarity.
The hope for Arsenal is that he might function a belated substitute for the departed Granit Xhaka, serving to to revive the menace and fluency on their left aspect, along with Calafiori, whereas additionally permitting Rice to revert to his pure place at No 6.
Merino shouldn’t be a like-for-like substitute for Xhaka. He’s extra bodily and fewer technical. However his comparatively low passing accuracy charge of 77 per cent at Actual Sociedad could be defined, not less than partly, by an inclination to take dangers along with his distribution.
Merino, though comfy recycling possession and constructing the play slowly, prefers to direct the ball ahead, one thing which might assist Gabriel Martinelli, whose type dipped with out Xhaka final time period and who’s best when working onto passes in behind.
Merino passing radar reveals a excessive proportion of passes directed forwards
His character is probably going one other a part of his attraction to Arteta.
Merino’s footballing upbringing came about in a area of Spain, Navarra, which borders Arteta’s native Basque Nation and shares lots of the similar sporting ideas.
“An Osasuna participant is often a hard-working, aggressive profile,” explains Flaño, who frolicked teaching within the membership’s academy after his retirement as a participant.
“We’d not essentially be sensible gamers who stand out, however we’re humble, dependable and constant, and that typically finally ends up paying off in the long term. Mikel has these qualities however, in fact, the opposite essential factor is that he is sensible as properly.
“I believe Arteta transmits the identical issues in the best way he addresses the press and a number of the feedback he makes.
“You’ll be able to really feel that he actually likes these type of gamers, hard-workers who get across the pitch, who’ve ardour, who usually are not showy or flashy however know easy methods to compete and maintain the main points.”
Merino’s aggressive character made an impression on Sanchez too. “He will get a whole lot of yellow playing cards, as a result of he has a whole lot of coronary heart and he provides all the things,” he says. “However that, coupled along with his capacity to defend and assault equally properly, is how he has obtained the place he’s.”
It’s partly for that purpose that those that know him are in little doubt about his potential to achieve England, regardless of his first spell within the Premier League with Newcastle proving short-lived.
“I believe he was too younger when the Newcastle alternative got here,” says Sanchez. “Completely different tradition, totally different construction, totally different kick-off occasions. He skilled all of it very younger.
Merino made 25 appearances for Newcastle, scoring as soon as
“I see him now as being a lot better ready. He has much more expertise, much more video games below his belt each at membership stage and internationally, and his physique is stronger too.
“I might see him doing properly wherever however I believe he could be excellent for Arsenal, due to their system and their model, with a whole lot of possession and a whole lot of runs into the field. I believe he would really like that.
“And bear in mind, we’re speaking a few prime participant who by no means hides.”
Arteta could have famous Merino shouldn’t be one to shirk a duel both.