Mikel Merino addresses his lack of minutes at Arsenal

Speaking at a press conference on international duty, via Hayters TV, Merino was asked about the lack of minutes at club level for both himself and Zubimendi.

“Both Martin and I understand the situation at Arsenal at the moment,” he said. “In my opinion, it’s the best club in the world and the best team in the world right now, with an incredibly deep squad and starting-quality players throughout. That makes it very difficult to get minutes.

“The manager also has a lot of trust in us, and we understand the roles we have at the moment. It’s a long season and a lot of things can change. We’re both calm and focused on continuing to work hard in training until the manager gives us our opportunities. Then it’s about showing on the pitch that we deserve to be there.”

That went down well with Arsenal icon Ian Wright, who commented on the clip: “Spoken like the champions he is,” accompanied by multiple heart emojis.

Arsenal shouldn’t even consider selling Mikel Merino in January

Wrighty is spot on. Merino’s answer is absolutely the right attitude, and it’s no surprise Mikel Arteta sees him as one of the leaders in the squad. He’s such an intelligent player with a high level of professionalism, and plenty of his team-mates have tipped him to go into management one day.

That’s exactly why Arsenal shouldn’t even think about selling him in January, whatever Atletico are offering. He provides cover in multiple roles, including in midfield and as a makeshift striker, and players with that kind of attitude don’t come along often. A long season is ahead, and as Merino says, a lot can change.

Both he and Zubimendi played their part in Spain’s 2-0 win over the Czech Republic on Thursday, which keeps their Nations League record perfect at five wins from five. Zubimendi played the full 90 and Merino came off the bench after 66 minutes, while David Raya again watched from the bench, with Unai Simon preferred.

Next up for Spain is England on Sunday, and as many as eight Arsenal players could be involved.