Mikel Merino grew up in Pamplona, where his father Ángel played for Osasuna, and came through the club’s academy. He moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2016, then spent a season at Newcastle United before joining Real Sociedad in 2018.
In San Sebastián he became one of La Liga’s best midfielders and won the Copa del Rey in 2020. He also won Olympic silver with Spain at Tokyo 2020.
At Euro 2024 he scored the winning header in extra time against Germany in the quarter-final, and Spain went on to win the tournament. Arsenal signed him that summer, and he has played in midfield and as an emergency centre-forward.
Playing style
Merino is a tall, technical central midfielder who can dictate play, win the ball back and arrive in the box to score. He is strong in the air and a good tackler. At Arsenal he has also played as an emergency centre-forward, scoring important goals.
International career
Merino made his Spain debut in 2020 and won Euro 2024, scoring the winning goal in extra time against Germany in the quarter-final.
Career in numbers
Merino’s senior club career, which began in 2014/15, has so far brought 428 appearances and 52 goals for 5 clubs. His best scoring return came in 2024/25: 9 goals in 44 appearances for Arsenal. His busiest campaign was 2023/24, with 45 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has 1 goal in 7 appearances for Arsenal. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.