Arsenal finally confirmed the signing of Mikel Merino yesterday after a drawn-out transfer saga with Real Sociedad.
The Spanish midfielder joins the Gunners on the back of a successful spell with Spain at Euro 2024 and gives Mikel Arteta another option in the centre of the park.
Merino’s transfer fee is believed to be in the region of £37.5m including add-ons as he put pen to paper on a four-year deal.
He’s in line to make his Arsenal debut against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend, but Shaka Hislop believes the Gunners still have one glaring weakness in their squad.
Shaka Hislop feels Arsenal had enough midfield options before Mikel Merino transfer
With Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Jorginho, Hislop feels Arsenal were already adequately stacked in midfield prior to Merino’s arrival.
“I’m not 100% sure where exactly he fits in,” Hislop said on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel.
The former Newcastle United goalkeeper believes the Gunners still lack a centre-forward who scores goals consistently, indicating that they are yet to address a glaring hole in the squad.
Hislop added: “I do feel Arsenal’s greatest need is an out-and-out finisher and it just seems a bit congested in the midfield area.”
Hislop is right about Arsenal’s lack of a certified goalscorer
With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus scoring just 17 Premier League goals between them last season, Hislop certainly has a point about Arsenal’s lack of an out-and-out striker.
Havertz, for his part, has done well at the club after overcoming his initial struggles, but it could be argued that he’s not a striker by every sense of the word.
Jesus’ tally of four Premier League goals during the 2023-24 campaign, on the other hand, is simply not good enough, especially for a team fighting for the Premier League title.
Arsenal are plotting a late move for a striker before the transfer deadline but with time running out, it remains to be seen if they are successful in their efforts.
As for Merino, his arrival adds some much-needed steel to Arsenal’s midfield.
He might not be a guaranteed starter right from the get-go, but over the course of the season, the Spaniard is likely to play a big part across all competitions when games begin to come thick and fast.
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