Arsenal’s new No 9? How Merino is redefining his role in Arteta’s squad | OneFootball

Mikel Merino’s unexpected shift to striker has helped Arsenal adapt amid an injury crisis. But can he carry them past Real Madrid in the Champions League?

‘Arsenal didn’t tell me I would be striker until the last minute’ The Guardian 20 Mar 2025 By Sid Lowe

Mikel Merino never expected to be Arsenal’s No 9. In fact, neither did Arsenal, until a brutal injury crisis left Mikel Arteta without a forward and a decision had to be made. The solution? Merino, a midfielder by trade, was thrown up front at the last minute. The result? Two goals, a win, and a completely new perspective on his own game.

“They know me: they know I want to know why we do things, exactly what movements to make, to not make, everything,” Merino told the Guardian. “If they told me sooner I would have been thinking too much, instead of letting it flow. And look: they told me late, I didn’t think much, I went out, I flowed, I scored two.”

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It was an improvisation, a gamble, but one that has paid off. Merino has scored more than Harry Kane, Lautaro Martínez, and Erling Haaland since making the transition. He’s been described by Ian Wright as the striker Arsenal needed. The club’s coaching staff saw something in him before he did himself, carefully managing the timing of their decision to drop him into the role. Now, he’s learning the nuances of playing as a centre-forward, fighting with defenders, playing with his back to goal, understanding the small details of the position.

“I was quick to say: ‘Look, it’s great that you didn’t tell me anything before but, please, now give me some fundamentals.’ I was there, studying. It’s an art, eh. The first or second game, everything looked different to me. I like tactics, I understand, but I had always seen it from that perspective [of a midfielder]; from here [as a striker] it totally changes.”

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His role, though, isn’t that of a conventional centre-forward. Merino still drops deep, facilitates others, and isn’t simply planted on the last line waiting to pounce. He knows the role is different from his past midfield experience, but the principles remain the same – movement, awareness, and using his intelligence to manipulate defenders rather than relying purely on instinct.

“I’ve put the X here, a bit further back, because that’s my role. Not just as a No 9, but as a player: I can’t be understood without my teammates, the people around me. My job has always been to facilitate others: as an 8, as a 9. See where people are, where the free man is, understand if I have to participate or move to help a teammate [without touching the ball]. That’s the role … depending on the opponents, eh.”

Despite his success in this emergency role, Merino isn’t thinking about a long-term future as a striker. Asked if Arsenal might now reconsider signing a centre-forward, or if Spain could follow Arteta’s lead, he smirks. “That’s a question for Mikel and the new sporting director,” he says. “And Luis [de la Fuente] already said he wasn’t going in for ‘inventions’. I think I’ll be more of an 8, but ask him.”

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For now, though, Merino has bigger challenges ahead. Arsenal face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, a tie that will define their season. The Premier League title may be slipping away to Liverpool, but in Europe, Arsenal’s fate is still in their own hands. And Merino, the accidental striker, will play a crucial role in whether or not they progress.

“We know Madrid’s history but we have to know that we’re really good too, that we’re getting better, and that we can beat anyone,” he says. “It’s true that Liverpool are a bit far away in the Premier League but the Champions League is special. The injuries can’t be an excuse but the season also can’t be explained without them. The fact that I’m playing at centre-forward … that wasn’t the plan.”

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Merino will also use this international break with Spain as an opportunity to get a closer look at Raúl Asencio, Real Madrid’s new centre-back, the man who will be marking him when the tie kicks off. “I’ve seen him on television but it’s good to see him up close,” he says, grinning. “But it’ll be different on the pitch. We know Madrid are hard but we’re excited. It’s a historic game for the club.”

If Arsenal are to eliminate Madrid and continue their run in Europe, Merino’s adaptability may prove key. A midfielder, a forward, a battler, whatever role he plays, he is ready.