9/10 Arsenal star just proved why Mikel Merino won't be an immediate starter

Well, as preseason games go, you can't ask for much more than that.

Arsenal played German champions Bayer Leverkusen this evening, and Xabi Alonso's side showed their steel in the Bundesliga last season, completely falling apart at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta's side were 2-0 up within ten minutes, three at half-time and finished the game as 4-1 winners with a host of graduates representing the club, including Myles Lewis-Skelly and the very exciting Ethan Nwaneri.

However, another slightly older star has stolen the show for the Gunners, and based on his performances tonight and throughout pre-season, he could be a surprise challenger for Mikel Merino next season, which still appears to be on the way. at the Emirates sometime this summer.

The latest on Mikel Merino at Arsenal

Now, of all the transfer stories this summer, Merino's may have been one of the most surprising, since, apart from the move you didn't really have doubts, it felt like not much happened.

However, according to a report from Football Insider earlier today, progress is being made to bring the 28-year-old to North London, with the Gunners favorites to sign ahead of Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.

The price was not mentioned in the Football Insider report, but previous reports suggested that around £25m should be enough to get the deal over the line.

The Sociedad ace may not have been a household name among Premier League fans before he linked up with the Gunners, but he has been a key player for the Basque club in recent years and, according to Squawka, was the only player in Europe's best seven. Leagues last season won more than 300 duels, reaching 326.

It's clear that Arteta sees the 6 foot 2 titan as the right man to play in the left eight role next season, breaking up play and contributing to the attack at times. However, based on tonight's game, he may have a real fight on his hands. to the person in the group.

Why Havertz would be Merino's rival

Of course, a potential contender for that left-eighth role next season is Kai Havertz, who was fantastic tonight.

This would be a surprising development, as in the last half of last season, Arteta started the German national team as the team going to the ninth place, and for all the criticism he received at the beginning of the campaign, he took the position. change like a duck to water.

By the end of the season, he had started 18 games as a striker, where he had scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged 1.2 goals per nine games.

This newfound success at the end of the field has led many fans to believe that this will be his regular position in the team going forward.

However, several times this pre-season, including tonight, he has started at eight left, and to his credit, he has played well.

For example, The Standard's Simon Collings gave the 25-year-old 9/10 for his performance, and considering he bagged two assists in the first half before scoring himself in the second half, it would be hard to disagree.

In addition, in his 71 minutes of playing, he also had 26 touches, blocked a shot, created a big chance, played two important passes and made a tackle.

Ultimately, whether Arteta continues to start the former Chelsea ace in midfield come the first game of the season remains to be seen, but he has shown in the summer, especially tonight, that he can play well there, too, considering his 6-foot-4 stature. , adds more body to the middle of the park.

So, when he finally arrives at the Emirates this summer, Merino may face more competition than he initially expected for a place in the middle of the park.