MIKEL MERINO
Midfielder · Arsenal · League Cup
“A midfield anchor who reads danger and arrives to finish it.”
GoalPost verdict
GoalPost score (GPS)
GoalPost read
Mikel Merino is a prime box-to-box midfielder whose best recent football came at Real Sociedad. His value is tempered by a place that is not guaranteed and by the league discount.
GoalPost value
What GoalPost values him at
range €16.9M – €18.5M
What he’s worth on the pitch today — our number, not the market’s.
GPS / value trend
Daily snapshots only. Sparse history stays hidden rather than drawing a flat line.
Scouting report
Strengths
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Watch-outs
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Analysis overview
Mikel Merino plays as a box-to-box midfielder with a defender’s timing and a striker’s instinct for the final action. He hunts space aggressively, closes down with purpose, and is always switched on to cut passing lanes before springing forward into the box. His game is built on elite defensive reading, relentless pressing, and a clean, clinical edge when chances fall his way.
Playing style
Shot profile
Shots / 90
1.47
SoT / 90
1.47
Accuracy
100%
Conversion
25%
Club football this season: 4 shots in 7 matches (245 min).
Goal Threat coverage is not available for this player yet, so this card shows only raw shooting rates.
Last 12 matches · shots
7 shots · 4 goals
Player intelligence
Workrate
The unglamorous work: tackles, interceptions, duels, passing, fouls won, minutes and discipline, against his position
Ball progression
Estimated progressive passes and carries, against his position
Team impact
Awaiting measured on-pitch impact sample
Performance overview
2026/27 season by competition
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UEFA Champions League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 6.39 |
 League Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 7.84 |
 Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 6.53 |
| Total | 7 | 1 | 0 | 245 | 6.97 |
Form (last 10 matches)
Each dot is one match rating.
Advanced performance
Goals
0.37
per 90
Assists
0.00
per 90
Shots
1.47
per 90
Shots on target
1.47
per 90
Conversion
25%
goals per shot
Dribbles
2.57
per 90 · 78% completed
Key passes
1.84
per 90
Pass accuracy
84%
Fouls won
1.47
per 90
Tackles + interceptions
1.84
per 90
Match-by-match breakdown
| Date | Opponent | Result | G | A | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10 |  Leeds | EPL | W2-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 6 |  Croatia | Nations League | W1-2 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Oct 3 |  Czechia | Nations League | W3-1 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 6.7 |
| Sep 29 | Croatia | Nations League | W4-1 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 6.9 |
| Sep 26 |  England | Nations League | W2-3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 |
| Sep 19 |  Brighton | EPL | L3-0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 |
Minutes played
Total minutes
League Cup90 (37%)Premier League90 (37%)UEFA Champions League65 (27%)Career timeline
Career stats by season
| Season | Club | Apps | G | A | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 |  Arsenal | League Cup | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.14 | 6.97 |
| 2025/26 | Arsenal | Premier League | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0.26 | 6.86 |
| 2024/25 | Arsenal | Premier League | 45 | 9 | 5 | 0.31 | 7.09 |
| 2023/24 |  Real Sociedad | La Liga | 45 | 8 | 5 | 0.29 | 7.31 |
| 2022/23 | Real Sociedad | La Liga | 43 | 3 | 9 | 0.28 | 7.09 |
| 2021/22 | Real Sociedad | La Liga | 43 | 4 | 2 | 0.14 | 7.05 |
| 2020/21 | Real Sociedad | La Liga | 35 | 2 | 6 | 0.23 | 7.13 |
| 2019/20 | Real Sociedad | La Liga | 43 | 6 | 1 | 0.16 | 7.07 |
Career highlights
Copa del Rey
2019/2021
DFB Pokal
2016/2017
UEFA European Championship
2024
UEFA Nations League
2022/2024
UEFA U19 Championship
2014/2015
Spell detail
Apps
86
Goals
16
Assists
8
Minutes
4,797
By season
| 2026/27 | League Cup | 7 app | 1 g | 6.97 |
| 2025/26 | Premier League | 34 app | 6 g | 6.86 |
| 2024/25 | Premier League | 45 app | 9 g | 7.09 |
Goals by season
16 goals in the spell
International career
Spain
National-team finishes
- UEFA Nations LeagueRunner-up · 2024/2026
- UEFA European ChampionshipWinner · 2024
- UEFA Nations LeagueWinner · 2022/2024
- Olympics MenRunner-up · 2021
- UEFA Nations LeagueRunner-up · 2020/2022