Mikel MerinoCM#23

Arsenal·Premier League·Midfield - Central Midfield

30 years(22/06/1996)1,88mleftSpainContract until 30/06/2028

6.87Rating44 matches in 12 months

€25.00mMarket value#22 in Arsenal · #183 in Premier League

Last 5rating per match

Premier Leag01.116.5

UEFA Champio04.118.7

Premier Leag08.116.1

World Cup Qu15.117

World Cup Qu18.116.5

Form, 12 monthsaverage rating per month

7.00Nov

6.90Dec

7.00Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

6.30May

6.60Jun

7.10Jul

7.00Aug

6.70Sep

7.00Oct

Club matchesArsenal

Team page →

Recent results

03 Oct · 13:00Friendlies ClubsH

FC Minsk—Match stats 19 Sept · 15:00English Premier LeagueA

Brighton—Prediction 18 Sept · 17:00Premier LeagueA

ML Vitebsk—Prediction 15 Sept · 20:00League CupA

Ipswich—Prediction 12 Sept · 20:00English Premier LeagueA

SunderlandW2:0Prediction

Key statsUEFA Nations League · Premier League · EFL Cup · UEFA Champions League

Goals20.58 / 90

xG0.140.32 / 90

Assists10.29 / 90

xA0.00

Shots61.75 / 90

Shots on target583%

Key passes61.75 / 90

Pass accuracy86.2%

xG — expected goals: the quality of the chances taken; xA — expected assists: the quality of the chances created. Values per 90 minutes are shown under the totals. What xG, npxG, xA and xGChain mean

Player profileattributes and traits

Player Position average

Attacking63

Technique54

Tactical55

Defending51

Creativity66

Strengths

No outstanding strengths

Weaknesses

No outstanding weaknesses

Player positions: MC

Positions on the pitch

Percentiles per 90per 90 minutes vs positional peers of the league

AttackingPer 90 · Percentile

Goals0.3598%

xG0.2994%

Shots1.9180%

Shots on target0.7084%

Conversion %18.295%

Big chances missed0.430%

Dribbles0.4329%

Fouls won1.7482%

Offsides0.266%

PlaymakingPer 90 · Percentile

Assists0.2693%

xA0.1363%

Key passes1.0448%

Big chances created0.3580%

Accurate passes24.4311%

Pass accuracy %76.02%

Final third passes8.4329%

Long balls0.7013%

Crosses0.007%

DefendingPer 90 · Percentile

Tackles2.2665%

Interceptions0.8754%

Clearances1.6576%

Blocks0.1730%

Aerial duels won2.4396%

Duels won6.8793%

Recoveries4.9667%

Dribbled past0.5282%

Fouls1.918%

Errors leading to goal0.0060%

What a percentile means

The percentile shows what share of players of the same position in this league the player beats on a per-90-minute metric. 90% — better than nine out of ten peers; 50% — the league median. Per 90 minutes removes the effect of playing time.

For fouls, offsides, being dribbled past and goals conceded the scale is inverted: a higher percentile means fewer of them.

vs 83 midfielders · Premier League · season 25/26 · min 270′ · player 1035′

Similar playersPremier League · midfielders · season 25/26

80%

Emiliano BuendíaAston Villa · Midfield - Attacking Midfield6.86Rating6G2A29age 78%

Diego GómezBrighton · Midfield - Central Midfield6.74Rating5G1A23age 75%

Brenden AaronsonLeeds · Midfield - Attacking Midfield6.73Rating4G5A25age 75%

Morgan RogersChelsea · Midfield - Attacking Midfield6.85Rating10G6A24age 74%

Kiernan Dewsbury-HallEverton · Midfield - Central Midfield7.16Rating8G4A28age 74%

Jack HinshelwoodBrighton · Midfield - Defensive Midfield6.66Rating4G3A21age

Profile match = 100 − mean gap of per-90 percentiles across 28 metrics of this position; players of the same league, position group and season with at least 270 minutes.

Reality checkactual vs expected, by season

Goals vs xG

-1.4

-1.2

45.2

25/26

-0.1

00.1

26/27

Goals xG · total 4 / 5.4

Assists vs xA

+0.7

+0.7

32.3

25/26

00.0

26/27

Assists xA · total 3 / 2.3

Bars above xG mean the player scores more than the quality of his chances suggests; a long run below xG is usually a finishing problem, a short one — variance.

Availability

StatusInjuredsince 30.01.2026

Missed matches21last 12 months

National teamSpain51 caps · 12 goals

Contract until30/06/2028

Market value€25.00mHighest: €50.00m (30/12/2021)

Season statsSeason 26/27

Competition	Team	Season	Apps	Min	Rating	G	A	G+A	YC	RC
UEFA Nations League	Spain	26/27	3	64	6.80	1	1	2	—	—
Premier League	Arsenal	26/27	5	90	6.66	—	—	0	1	—
EFL Cup	Arsenal	26/27	1	90	7.20	1	—	1	—	—
UEFA Champions League	Arsenal	26/27	1	65	6.80	—	—	0	—	—

Transfers9

Date	Season	From	To	Fee	Market value
27/08/2024	24/25	Real Sociedad	Arsenal	€32.00m	€50.00m
12/07/2018	18/19	Newcastle	Real Sociedad	€12.00m	€12.00m
01/07/2018	18/19	Dortmund	Newcastle	€7.00m	€10.00m
30/06/2018	17/18	Newcastle	Dortmund	End of loan	€10.00m
28/07/2017	17/18	Dortmund	Newcastle	Loan fee:€3.00m	€2.50m
01/07/2016	16/17	CA Osasuna	Dortmund	€3.75m	€2.00m
01/07/2014	14/15	Osasuna B	CA Osasuna	-	-
01/07/2013	13/14	Osasuna U19	Osasuna B	-	-
01/07/2012	12/13	CA Osasuna Yout	Osasuna U19	-	-

Market value

€25.00m Current€50.00m Highest · 30/12/202103/06/2026 Last change

08.01.201503.06.2026

#22 Arsenal#60 Central Midfield#183 Premier League#37 Spain#398 Worldwide#8 Year 1996

Value history

Date	Age	Club	Value
08/01/2015	18	CA Osasuna	€1.00m
01/07/2015	19	CA Osasuna	€1.00m
22/02/2016	19	CA Osasuna	€2.00m
22/07/2016	20	Borussia Dortmund	€3.00m
07/02/2017	20	Borussia Dortmund	€3.00m
19/06/2017	20	Borussia Dortmund	€2.50m
23/10/2017	21	Newcastle United	€7.00m
02/01/2018	21	Newcastle United	€10.00m
28/05/2018	21	Newcastle United	€10.00m
12/07/2018	22	Real Sociedad	€12.00m
21/12/2018	22	Real Sociedad	€8.00m
28/02/2019	22	Real Sociedad	€10.00m
11/06/2019	22	Real Sociedad	€15.00m
20/12/2019	23	Real Sociedad	€20.00m
05/03/2020	23	Real Sociedad	€30.00m
08/04/2020	23	Real Sociedad	€24.00m
23/07/2020	24	Real Sociedad	€35.00m
08/10/2020	24	Real Sociedad	€35.00m
05/01/2021	24	Real Sociedad	€40.00m
10/06/2021	24	Real Sociedad	€40.00m
30/12/2021	25	Real Sociedad	€50.00m
03/06/2022	25	Real Sociedad	€50.00m
07/11/2022	26	Real Sociedad	€50.00m
13/06/2023	26	Real Sociedad	€50.00m
22/12/2023	27	Real Sociedad	€50.00m
07/06/2024	27	Real Sociedad	€50.00m
16/12/2024	28	Arsenal FC	€45.00m
18/03/2025	28	Arsenal FC	€35.00m
30/05/2025	28	Arsenal FC	€35.00m
09/12/2025	29	Arsenal FC	€30.00m
03/06/2026	29	Arsenal FC	€25.00m

xG Statisticsall seasons

Season	League	Club	Apps	Min	G	xG	npxG	A	xA	Sh	KP	xGChain
2026	EPL	Arsenal	3	39	0	0.14	0.14	0	0	2	0	0.21
2025	EPL	Arsenal	22	1002	4	5.22	5.22	3	2.29	22	12	8.37

What xG, npxG, xA and xGChain mean

xG Expected goals: How many goals an average finisher would score from the same shots. A 0.30 xG shot goes in about 3 times in 10. Goals above xG mean efficient finishing; below — a cold streak or poor finishing.
npxG Non-penalty xG: The same xG without penalties. A penalty alone is worth about 0.76 xG, so npxG is a cleaner view of open-play and set-piece chances.
xA Expected assists: The xG of the shots that followed the player's passes. High xA with few assists means teammates missed good chances.
xGChain xG chain: Team xG from every possession the player touched. It shows involvement in build-up, not only the shot or the final pass, so a deep midfielder can rank high without scoring.
KP Key passes: Passes that led directly to a shot — the volume behind xA.