Wayne Rooney has explained what Arsenal are missing by having to use midfielder Mikel Merino at centre-forward instead of a natural striker.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15: Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Arsenal FC at The King Power Stadium on February 15, 2025 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Against Manchester United on Sunday, Arsenal started Mikel Merino up front for the fourth consecutive game.
Since winning the spot with a brace off the bench against Leicester City, Merino has started against West Ham, Nottingham Forest, PSV Eindhoven, and United, but he only added to his goal tally in the PSV match.
Reflecting on Merino’s performances, former United striker Wayne Rooney highlighted that while the midfielder can bring something to his team at centre-forward, he’ll also inevitably lack the killer instinct of a natural striker.
LEICESTER, ENGLAND: Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Declan Rice after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Arsenal FC at The King Power Stadium on February 15, 2025. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
“A proper number nine – a forward who has played there his whole life – brings something different to any team,” Rooney explained.
“I am talking about that natural goalscoring instinct, which a player who is trying to learn the position probably doesn’t have.
“A midfielder playing forward like Merino can get hold of the ball and bring others into play, but what a goalscorer brings is that selfishness of wanting to be in the penalty area to finish chances.
“As we saw on Sunday, Rice was trying to help Arsenal to fill that position, as the player who was always making forward runs and arriving in the box. He did really well in that advanced role, but he cannot always be there.”
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Referee Andrew Madley gestures whilst speaking to Jorginho and Mikel Merino of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Arsenal FC at City Ground on February 26, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images
Many have pointed out that Arsenal haven’t made a huge number of chances for Merino to finish in recent matches, and that’s true.
But the best strikers make their own chances, finding space in crowded areas, timing a run to escape the defence, or dribbling past a defender.
Merino seems largely incapable of that kind of chance creation, which shouldn’t be held against him. He’s a midfielder, he’s learning this new position on the job.
That doesn’t change the fact that there’s an overreliance on creating for him. Rooney is right that Arsenal’s squad needs a more natural striker in the absence of the injured Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
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