Myles Lewis-Skelly singles out 'underrated' Arsenal teammate who is 'one of the best in the world'

Arsenal's unsung hero

Lewis-Skelly has named Merino as the most underrated player currently plying his trade at Arsenal. The young midfielder firmly believes his team-mate does not receive enough recognition for his vital contributions to Mikel Arteta's squad.

Merino has proven to be a highly versatile asset since his arrival from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2024. He has regularly stepped up to provide crucial cover up front when injury crises left Arsenal short of traditional attacking options.

Demanding more respect

Lewis-Skelly has made it clear that he views the 30-year-old as a key leadership figure behind the scenes. He insists that observers consistently overlook the Spaniard's true value and tactical intelligence.

"That guy there, I don’t feel like he gets the credit he deserves, man," Lewis-Skelly explained in a recent interview with the Premier League. "The way he sees football is really good to learn from. He should get the props that he deserves."

Learning from experience

Merino boasts a strong return of 16 goals and eight assists in 85 appearances for Arsenal. This clinical output has caught the eye of Lewis-Skelly, who is actively trying to study the experienced midfielder's game to improve his own numbers.

"Even today I was speaking to him about, well, how do you score so many goals? I want to learn because I want to add that to my game," Lewis-Skelly added. "The desire to score, the positions, where to be on the field. I feel like he always knows where to be, when to be there. That’s something as a football player, that’s everything."

Fighting for minutes

Despite his obvious quality and footballing intelligence, Merino has found regular playing time difficult to secure in recent months. The Spanish international is yet to start a Premier League match this season.

He has fallen down the pecking order due to the impressive domestic form of Lewis-Skelly himself, alongside the high-profile summer arrival of Bruno Guimaraes. Merino will now have to continue working hard on the training pitch to catch Arteta's eye and force his way back into the starting lineup.