{"id":409022,"date":"2025-11-27T19:45:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/409022\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T19:45:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:45:20","slug":"mikel-arteta-urged-to-start-underrated-arsenal-star-instead-of-64m-signing-against-chelsea-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/409022\/","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta urged to start ‘underrated’ Arsenal star instead of \u00a364m signing against Chelsea | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"Arsenal
\n\t\tMikel Arteta has a decision to make ahead of Sunday\u2019s trip to Chelsea (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n

Paul Dickov has urged Mikel Arteta<\/a> to start \u2018underrated\u2019 Arsenal<\/a> star Mikel Merino<\/a> against Chelsea<\/a> instead of \u00a364m signing Viktor Gyokeres<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Merino mainly plays in midfield but can be used as a striker and has started Arsenal\u2019s last four games, registering two goals and two assists.<\/p>\n

But Arteta faces somewhat of a selection headache for Sunday\u2019s Premier League<\/a> clash against Chelsea with Gyokeres expected to be available.<\/p>\n

Arsenal paid an initial \u00a355m to sign Gyokeres from Sporting CP in the summer transfer window, with \u00a38.7m in add-ons for the Swedish striker.<\/p>\n

Gyokeres has missed Arsenal\u2019s last four games with a muscle injury but could potentially make his return against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tYour ultimate guide to the football season\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Metro’s football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday \u2013 sign up<\/a>, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n

It is also understood Arsenal forward Kai Havertz<\/a> may make an injury comeback against the Blues but Dickov wants to see Merino in the XI.<\/p>\n

\u2018Merino has been excellent,\u2019 Dickov told Metro<\/strong> via Casino Groups<\/a>. \u2018I think he\u2019s one of the most underrated signings Arsenal have made in a long time.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"SK
\n\t\tPaul Dickov wants Mikel Merino to start instead of Viktor Gyokeres (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n

\u2018The flexibility he\u2019s got, playing in midfield and playing up top. I like him up top because he gives Arsenal physicality there. <\/p>\n

\u2018He occupies the centre-backs. That allows players like Eze and Saka a lot of space because the defenders are concentrating on Merino.<\/p>\n

\u2018Even if Gyokeres is fit, I\u2019d be sticking with Merino for this game. Especially with it being away from home.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Burnley
\n\t\tPaul Dickov says Viktor Gyokeres shouldn\u2019t be rushed back from injury (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n

\u2018Maybe give Gyokeres another week or so rather than rushing him back too quickly.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Madueke should start Chelsea vs Arsenal game\u2019<\/p>\n

Another Arsenal player Dickov wants to see in the starting line-up against Chelsea is winger Noni Madueke<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old made his return from a knee injury in the 4-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday, coming off the bench for the last 12 minutes.<\/p>\n

Madueke, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea in July, was again named as a substitute in the win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday but was introduced in the 38th minute after Leandro Trossard\u2019s first-half injury and later scored.<\/p>\n

Quizzed if Madueke should start against his former club this weekend, Dickov added: \u2018Yeah, I think so. <\/p>\n

\u2018That goal [against Bayern Munich] will give him a lot of confidence. He started the season very, very well at Arsenal after a lot of people questioned the signing and then unfortunately he got injured. <\/p>\n

\u2018He came on last night and got his goal \u2013 not a bad time to get it going back to his old stomping ground. There\u2019s always a story there when players go back to their old clubs. I\u2019ve been there many times myself.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arrow
\nMORE: Jamie Carragher says Arne Slot committed \u2018sackable offence\u2019 by picking Liverpool player<\/a><\/p>\n

Arrow
\nMORE: Crystal Palace vs Man Utd: Latest team news, predicted lineup and injuries<\/a><\/p>\n

Arrow
\nMORE: Liverpool urged to drop \u2018disgraceful\u2019 Mohamed Salah after worrying loss to PSV<\/a><\/p>\n


\n\t\t\tComment now<\/p>\n

\t\t\tComments
\n\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\tAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tAdd as preferred source
\n\t\t\t<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tFootball Newsletter \u2013 In The Mixer<\/p>\n

Your guide to the week in football. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk \u2013 sign up, it\u2019s an open goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta has a decision to make ahead of Sunday\u2019s trip to Chelsea (Picture: Getty) Paul Dickov has…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":409023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[5407,1318,13721,142048,34983,220,221,1926,62,67,132,68,13723],"class_list":{"0":"post-409022","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"tag-arsenal","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-mikel-arteta","11":"tag-mikel-merino","12":"tag-noni-madueke","13":"tag-premier-league","14":"tag-soccer","15":"tag-sport","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-viktor-gyokeres"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115623384559325935","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}