Lewis-Skelly names Merino as his most underrated Arsenal teammate

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Myles Lewis-Skelly has singled out Mikel Merino as the Arsenal player he believes deserves far more recognition than he currently gets, describing the Spaniard as someone he actively studies to improve his own game.

Merino joined Arsenal in the summer of 2024 for a fee of around £27m and has gone on to score 16 goals with eight assists in 85 appearances for the club. Despite that record, he has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter and has been used sparingly this season, managing just 81 minutes across five substitute appearances in the Premier League so far.

The pattern has followed him into international football too, where Spain boss Luis de la Fuente tends to deploy him as an impact option off the bench. That role paid off again during the recent Nations League clash with Croatia, when Merino came on at half-time and scored twice as Spain won 2-1.

De la Fuente hails Merino's quality

De la Fuente did not hold back in his praise after the match, insisting Merino is among the elite in his position regardless of how often he starts.

“Mikel Merino is one of the best in the world in his position,” De la Fuente said. “He has got the quality to play for any team, and of course he can play in any game. He understands these moments in a match so well. He has got that gift for goals, and important ones too. We really appreciate the attitude he always brings.”

Merino himself acknowledged the difficulty of accepting a bit-part role at both club and international level, while stressing his commitment to the team regardless of minutes played.

“I'm very happy to be able to help the team, another game in which it was my turn to score from the bench,” Merino said. “I'll go out there with the best possible attitude even while frustrated about not being able to play more… but this team is a family and that always shows.”

Lewis-Skelly leaning on Merino's experience

Lewis-Skelly, one of the breakout names of Arsenal's young core, made clear he sees Merino as a mentor figure as much as a teammate, pointing to his footballing intelligence and knack for scoring crucial goals.

“The most underrated? Mikel, Mikel Merino. 100 per cent, man,” Lewis-Skelly told Premier League productions. “That guy there, I don't feel like he gets the credit he deserves. Even today, I was speaking to him about how he scores so many goals because I want to learn and add that to my game.”

He added: “The way he sees football, it's really good to learn from. He should get the props he deserves.”

With competition for places in Arsenal's midfield as intense as ever, Merino's role as a reliable super-sub both for club and country looks set to continue for now.