Mikel Merino Zazón (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmikel meˈɾino]; born 22 June 1996) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or striker for Premier League club Arsenal and the Spain national team.
He began his career with Osasuna, and had short spells at Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United before signing for Real Sociedad in 2018, winning the 2019–20 Copa del Rey with the club while totalling 242 appearances and 27 goals. In August 2024, he joined Arsenal, winning the Premier League in his second season.
Merino represented Spain in two European Under-21 Championships, winning the 2019 edition. He made his senior debut in 2020, being selected for Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup and winning both tournaments.
Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Merino began his career with Amigó, later moving to Osasuna. He made his senior debut with the reserves in the 2013–14 season, in the Tercera División.
On 23 August 2014, Merino made his first competitive appearance with the first team, starting in a 2–0 home win against Barcelona B in the Segunda División. He scored his first professional goal on 21 December, the winner in a 2–1 away victory over Las Palmas.
Merino was promoted to the main squad on 31 January 2015, being given the number 8 jersey. He was a regular starter in his first year, helping them to narrowly avoid relegation.
In the 2015–16 campaign, Merino scored four goals from 34 appearances as Osasuna finished sixth and reached the promotion play-offs. In that stage's first round, he netted a brace in a 3–1 home win against Gimnàstic de Tarragona, and added another goal in the second leg (3–2 victory).
On 15 February 2016, Merino signed a five-year deal with Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, which was made effective on 1 July. His first league appearance occurred on 14 October, when he played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Hertha BSC.
In July 2017, Merino joined Newcastle United on a season-long loan; the Premier League side agreed to a clause obligating them to sign the player permanently, based on a number of appearances. On 13 October, this was invoked, and he agreed to a five-year contract.
Merino made 25 competitive appearances for the Magpies. He scored his only goal with a late header in a 1–0 win over Crystal Palace at St James' Park on 21 October 2017, also providing a sole assist.
Merino returned to Spain on 12 July 2018, signing a five-year deal with Real Sociedad for an undisclosed fee reported to be €12 million. His first match in La Liga took place on 18 August when he played 59 minutes in a 2–1 win against hosts Villarreal, and his first goal on 21 September won the game at Huesca. Despite struggling initially to adapt to his new team, also dealing with some injury problems, he eventually became a starter, scoring four times in 32 fixtures in his first season.
On 7 March 2020, Merino wore the captain's armband for the first time in a 1–0 league defeat away to Barcelona. In July, he renewed his contract until 2025.
On 3 April 2021, Merino won his first title after playing the full 90 minutes of the 2020 Copa del Rey final – delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – against Athletic Bilbao, assisting Portu who was brought down in the box at the hour mark; Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot for the only goal at the Estadio de La Cartuja, and Merino was named player of the match.
In the 2023–24 campaign, Merino won the most duels for possession in Europe's top leagues at 326.
Merino returned to the English top division on 27 August 2024, signing a four-year deal at Arsenal for a reported fee of £31.6m. In his first training session, he fractured his shoulder in a collision with Gabriel Magalhães and was ruled out for several weeks. He featured in his first match on 1 October, as a substitute in the 2–0 home win against Paris Saint-Germain in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. He scored his first league goal 26 days later, heading home from a free kick in a 2–2 home draw with Liverpool.
On 15 February 2025, Merino replaced Raheem Sterling in the 69th minute of the league fixture at Leicester City; as the habitual starter at centre-forward, Kai Havertz, had suffered a hamstring injury in training a week earlier, he was slotted into Havertz's position, going on to score both goals in the 2–0 victory. On 8 April, having again featured as a striker, he closed the 3–0 defeat of Real Madrid at Emirates Stadium in the Champions League quarter-finals' first leg. In his first season, he was regularly deployed in both positions.
On 28 September 2025, Merino scored his first goal of the new campaign in a 2–1 away win over his former employers Newcastle, coming off the bench to spark a late comeback in the final ten minutes. With summer signing Viktor Gyökeres out with a hamstring injury, he assumed his makeshift striker role once again in late November matches against Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea; he netted four times in the league for the champions and six in all competitions, but missed four months after suffering a foot fracture during a 3–2 home loss to Manchester United.
Merino was part of the Spain under-19 team which won the 2015 UEFA European Championship in Greece. He scored their first goal of the tournament, opening a 3–0 win over holders Germany at the AEL FC Arena in Larissa.