Mikel Merino is a difficult case to dissect. In truth, nobody knows his best position. Heck, even Merino himself doesn't know his best position.
This has been used to Arsenal's advantage ever since he signed. Injury after injury, it has been Mikel Merino who has stepped up and entered unfamiliar territory to cover any gaps in the squad.
During his brief time as a striker, it received mixed reviews. In some ways, Merino got the job done. However, it's fair to say that fans would have expected a more consistent bagsman.
Merino is an excellent finisher. He knows where to position himself in the box and he can grab goals. However, he's not the most creative of players, which makes him a rotational striker at best.
Still, Mikel Merino is esteemed in Arteta's pecking order. So much so, one would imagine he's next in line for the striker role behind Viktor Gyökeres.
Mikel Merino has left Kai Havertz between a rock and a hard place
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Mikel Merino, establishing himself as Arsenal's rotational center forward, was yet again put on display over the international break. For Spain, [he netted an unexpected hat-trick](https://paininthearsenal.com/arsenals-favourite-makeshift-striker-stuns-with-hat-trick-for-nation). We must say, all of the finishes were converted like you'd expect any in-form center forward to convert.
And, let's be frank, that couldn't come at a worse time for Kai Havertz. The rotational center forward role which gave him a lifeline at Arsenal has essentially been taken away from him, while he's injured and can't do anything about it.
[When Havertz comes back from injury](https://paininthearsenal.com/3-winners-and-2-losers-from-kai-havertz-arsenal-injury), he'll need to work twice as hard. He'll need to make the most of every opportunity given to him, to prove to Arteta and the Arsenal fanbase that he has what it takes to lead the line. Right now, he's third in the center forward pecking order.
The bad news, for Havertz at least, is that Mikel Merino is the most similar player to him in the Arsenal squad right now. This means that any good form which Merino boasts comes as a direct hindrance to Havertz.
Still, Arsenal fans won't care. Merino is raising the floor in the Arsenal squad, and if it pushes fringe players like Havertz to reaching a new level, then this can only be a good thing.
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