#mikel-arteta

#mikel-arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise onto Mikel Merino for the way he's performed up front in recent times. The Spain international arrived at the Emirates Stadium with the reputation of being a hard-working utility man in midfield, but he's shown some superb finishing when asked to fill in up front. Merino had a surprisingly good run in the team as a makeshift striker last season, and he filled in there again last night as Viktor Gyokeres was out injured.

When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at la Real, he said. And it wasn't the right moment [to go]. I stayed and it was a hard season but I learned a lot. I wanted to step forward, take that weight after others went. But I've always tried to choose the right time and I'm happy with how it happened in the end.

The club didn't want to let me go and it took a long time for them to agree to the transfer. I was valued there; no one wanted to get rid of me. Arteta didn't want me to leave for Portugal either, so I never felt unwanted. The decision to leave was entirely mine. I wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of me, the chances were small.