Striker talks from inside Arsenal camp revealed along with team-mate's fear over solution

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has lifted the lid on how the squad feels about Mikel Merino playing as a makeshift frontman.

The summer signing came off the bench to rescue Arsenal in their recent trip to Leicester, where he scored twice after going up front. That's after Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has been left short of striker options following news that both Gabriel Jesus (knee) and Kai Havertz (hamstring) have seen their seasons cut short by injury.

Those blows soured the mood around the Emirates after the club opted to not sign an attacker in the past two transfer windows. And Raya spoke to club legend David Seaman about how he and team-mates have reacted to Merino's recent switch, as well as whether he feels his colleague can fill in there on a more permanent basis.

"Obviously we have a lot of injuries and people are going to have to play in different positions. Like Mikel Merino played as a striker and then he scores two goals," said Raya on the Seaman Says podcast, brought to you by Betway. "When I saw him coming on to play and talking to Declan Rice], they were speaking – are we playing with a false nine and a diamond? Or are we playing with two strikers and then a diamond? 'No, I'm a striker.'

"And I was thinking, he's gonna score. I told him after the game, I said, 'He’s gonna come on and score.' And then minutes later he scored."

Raya went on to reveal Merino had spoken with assistant coach Miguel Molina on the day about potentially playing up front. But it was never practiced in training, and the Spaniard lauded the intelligence of his compatriot to get in the right positions to score.

Of the 42 goals Merino has scored throughout his senior club and international career, 15 have been from headers. That includes both his finishes for Spain, the most recent of which secured a place in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

"He reads the game very, very well. Obviously, I know him from playing with the national team," added Raya. "He scored a very similar goal in the Euros against Germany and that was when he was playing as an 8. But those type of balls for him is his bread and butter. He's so good in the air. He reaches the ball very, very well and then it's just a fantastic header."

Anyone would think such a glowing endorsement of Merino's efforts thus far would be a stamp of approval for him to carry on in the role. But the goalkeeper went on to specify certain nuances to the position that mean it may be more than Merino is able to handle.

"I'm not too sure [about him playing up front every week]," he continued. "I think the demands as a striker in our team are very, very high. It's different. It's a different work, different pressing than that you play as an eight or as a striker.

Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

"So maybe he'll rotate with another player. But I don't think he will start as a striker. I think if he plays, he plays an eight, and then he might go [up front]. I don't know how the gaffer is going to do it. I just leave that for the gaffer. That's his decision. He will make the best decision for the team, that's for sure."

Leandro Trossard has acted as Arsenal's Swiss army knife since joining two years ago and played as a false nine on occasion. However, Merino's more imposing physical presence and added height perhaps make him more appealing in certain scenarios.

Arsenal sit eight points off Premier League leaders Liverpool but have one game in hand over the Reds as things stand. Arteta's men are chasing a fourth straight league win when they host West Ham on Saturday, with anticipation building to see how the manager combats his latest injury nightmare.

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