Mikel Merino Zazón

Mikel Merino is a Spanish central midfielder from Pamplona. He developed at CD Amigó before joining Osasuna’s academy in 2011, rising from the reserves to the first team in 2014. Merino helped Osasuna win promotion to La Liga in 2015–16, scoring three times in the play-offs. In 2016, he moved to Borussia Dortmund and was part of their 2016–17 DFB-Pokal-winning squad before joining Newcastle United on loan in 2017, with the transfer later made permanent. After returning to Spain with Real Sociedad in 2018, Merino established himself as a physically strong box-to-box presence and helped win the 2020 Copa del Rey. He represented Spain at youth level, winning the Under-19 European Championship in 2015 and Under-21 title in 2019, before making his senior debut in 2020. At Euro 2024, he scored Spain’s quarter-final winner against Germany. He joined Arsenal in August 2024, continuing his career in England.