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ESPN pundit still has one concern about Arsenal after they sign Mikel Merino
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 t💝o be in the region o♕f £37.5m including add🗹-ons as he put pen to pa𒈔per 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 weaওkness in their squad.
Shaka Hislop feels Arsenal had enough midfield options before Mikel Merino transfer
With Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, T🤪homas Partey and Jorginho, Hislop feels Arsenal were already adequately stacked in midfield prior to Merino’s arriva🦋l.
“I’m not 100% sure where exactly he fits in,” Hislop said on ESPN FC’s Yo𝐆uTube channel.
The former Newcastle United goalkeeper be💛lieves the Gunners still lack a centre-forward who scores goals consisteꦰntly, indicating that they are yet to address a glaring hole in the squad.
Hislop added: “I do ꩵfeel 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 str♌iker.
Havertz♏, for his part, h💛as 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 f🍬ighting for the Premier Leagu⭕e title.
Arsenal are plotting a late move for a striker before the transfer deadline but with time running out, it re🌳mains to ꦕbe seen if they are successful in their efforts.
As for Merino, his arrival adds some m﷽uch-needed steel to Arsenal’s midfiꩵeld.
He mig𓄧ht 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.