Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have rejuvenated the Gunners squad and created a genuinely impressive team full of stars like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
Despite the strides made, the departure of Granit Xhaka last summer, the positional shift of Kai Havertz, and the potential exit of Thomas Partey this summer have left a void in Arsenal's midfield that needs to be addressed.
Arsenal-Trossard-Partey-Gabriel
So, it's unsurprising that the latest player touted for a move to N5 could be the perfect person to complete Arteta's midfield trio.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are keen on signing Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino this summer.
Mikel-Merino-Real-Sociedad
Juanmarti claims that Arteta has a strong desire to bring the Spanish international to the Emirates and that, following conversations, the player has become "seduced" by the Gunners' proposals.
The journalist goes on to reveal in an article for Sport that the Basque side would be tempted into selling if the North Londoners make an offer in the region of €25m, which is around £21m.
Mikel Merino
He might not be a name overly familiar to Premier League fans, but given how keen Arteta is to land the player, the reasonable fee, and the potential to solidify the team's midfield, this seems like a transfer too good to pass up.
How Merino could complete Arsenal's midfield
So, at the moment, Arsenal have two midfielders who are nailed on for a place in the starting lineup practically every week: Rice and Odegaard.
Arsenal midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard
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.
Declan Rice for Arsenal
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.
Merino's season
Competitions
La Liga
Champions League
Copa de Rey
Appearances
32
7
6
Goals
5
2
1
Assists
3
1
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.25
0.42
0.33
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The Sociedad star made 45 appearances last season - 38 of which were starts in central midfield - in which he scored eight goals and provided five assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.81 games.
However, while this is undeniably impressive for a deeper player, the other side of his game that probably caught the Arsenal manager's attention more is the number of duels he won last season.
According to Squawka, the 23-capped international was the only player in Europe's top seven leagues to win over 300 duels, coming in at a final number of 326 - staggering.
You can practically see him helping Rice break up play in the middle of the park before driving forward and helping Odegaard craft another exquisite chance, proving Mattinson's claim that the Spaniard is "effective in all 3 phases" right.
Arsenal-Gyokeres
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Ultimately, Arsenal look like they are going to need a new all-action number eight this summer, and considering his performances last season and his price tag, signing Merino is a no-brainer.
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