Mikel Arteta’s five-man leadership group at Arsenal has been revealed.
The Spaniard has built an exceptionally talented squad in recent seasons, bolstered significantly by the eight recruits who arrived in the summer.
Andrea Berta spent £250 million in the transfer window to provide Arteta with a deep ensemble that is capable of competing on multiple fronts.
This is paying dividends as Arsenal now sit at the top of the Premier League, and arguably boast the most talented squad in English football.
Mikel Arteta’s five-man leadership group at Arsenal
Martin Odegaard has been critiqued as a captain, but the Norwegian has the backing of the Arsenal squad, according to Arteta.
He has held the position since the 2022/23 campaign and will continue to assume the role for as long as he’s at the Emirates.
However, Odegaard isn’t the only leader in the Gunners’ dressing room. According to John Cross of the Mirror, Arteta has a five-man leadership group within the Arsenal squad.
Joining the skipper in this band of leaders is Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and Mikel Merino.
Saka is seemingly the vice-captain, taking the armband from Odegaard during the playmaker’s absence in recent weeks.
Gabriel has also worn the armband this season, most notably away at Anfield when both Saka and Odegaard weren’t available to feature in the starting line-up.
Many have called for Rice to be made captain, although it’s clear that the England international is fourth in the pecking order for this position, and this makes sense given the three more senior figures have been in N5 for much longer.
Mikel Merino’s inclusion in the leadership group speaks volumes
Merino’s inclusion in the leadership group will certainly come as a surprise to many people.
The likes of William Saliba and David Raya would be more obvious candidates, given how prominent they are in the team, but Arteta is clearly very fond of the Spanish midfielder.
“Merino is such a popular figure and, despite not being a nailed-on starter, is a brilliant teammate, he speaks well and has a voice packed with Spanish stars,” Cross wrote in the Mirror.
Not only does this speak volumes about Merino’s standing in Arteta’s mind, it also speaks to how highly rated he is amongst his teammates.
The former Real Sociedad man may not be the most glamorous footballer, but he’s a key cog in the dressing room at the Sohba Realty training ground, and is seemingly a voice for the growing Spanish contingent.
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