Mikel Merino reflects on Arsenal journey and tough adaptation period | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino has opened up about his early challenges and adaptation period since his arrival in north London.

After securing the European Championships with Spain, Merino joined Arsenal, but a shoulder injury delayed his debut until early October.

The 27-year-old spoke to Pablo Montaño on ‘Carrusel Canalla‘, reflecting on his first few months and his determination to improve.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Mikel Merino made his Arsenal debut on 1 October in the Champions League against PSG, helping the Gunners to a 2-0 win.

From there, it took him just three matches to secure a starting role under Mikel Arteta, quickly becoming a key figure in Arsenal’s midfield.

He scored his first goal for the club in the dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool, giving Arsenal a brief lead before Mo Salah equalised late in the game.

Reflecting on the Liverpool match, Merino shared his mixed emotions. “After watching the whole match, the feeling is one of disappointment because it was a very nice day to take the three points,” he said.

“The team could have gotten something more, but this is the Premier League—you play against very high-level teams. When you don’t dominate 100% of the game, it can happen to you.”

He then emphasised Arsenal’s desire to grow: “We have to improve, we have to learn from these mistakes, and we will surely do so because this team has a winning mentality.”

LONDON, ENGLAND: Mikel Merino of Arsenal scores his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Merino’s integration and journey to fitness at Arsenal has been far from smooth. After his summer move from Real Sociedad, an unfortunate training incident—Gabriel Magalhães falling on him—resulted in a shoulder injury that kept him out until October.

Despite this setback, the midfielder’s enthusiasm is palpable: “It wasn’t the best start for me, but thanks to the staff, my teammates, my wife, my family… they all helped me to turn things around. Little by little, I’m doing it. I still have a long way to go, but I want to improve and learn,” he said.

CORDOBA, SPAIN: Mikel Merino of Spain walks into the pitch during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A4 match between Spain and Serbia at Estadio Nuevo Arcangel on October 15, 2024. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

This season, Merino’s introduction to the Arsenal squad comes with high expectations.

His experience from his previous Premier League stint at Newcastle is limited but insightful. During the 2017-2018 season, he recorded just one goal and one assist in 25 games.

Now, under Arteta’s guidance, and with a more prominent role, the Navarrese is optimistic about surpassing those numbers, having already shown glimpses of his attacking threat and ability to dominate the midfield.

Merino closed his remarks with optimism: “We have a winning mentality, we want to improve and grow, and we will do that.”