Will Mikel Merino make his Arsenal debut against Brighton?

Arsenal have started the season in the best possible fashion. They have won two out of their opening two games and kept two clean sheets in the process. Therefore, Mikel Arteta will hope for more of the same going forward.

As we are in the final few days of the summer transfer window, there is not expected to be much action from Arsenal, barring any market opportunities. After all, they have already signed David Raya, Tommy Setford, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino.

Mikel Merino was announced by the club yesterday, after the transfer deal was in the works for a few weeks. He is certainly an exciting signing who will improve the midfield.

Now Arsenal fans are wondering, will Mikel Merino make his Arsenal debut this weekend against Brighton?

Will Mikel Merino make his Arsenal debut against Brighton?

Mikel Merino is fit and he's already been introduced to the Arsenal team. Therefore, he will certainly be in contention to face Brighton this weekend.

However, whether or not the Spanish midfielder is thrown straight into the deep end remains to be seen. After all, it's a rarity that Mikel Arteta starts a new signing straight away.

At least from the offset, I cannot see Mikel Arteta starting Mikel Merino against Brighton. It is too big a game to test out a new formula.

That said, Mikel Merino will certainly play a part against Brighton and he will make his debut, regardless of whether it's from the first minute or later in the match.

Thomas Partey would be the player most at risk of losing out to make way for the Mikel Merino debut, with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard the clear choices in the midfield. Partey played well against Aston Villa, scoring a goal, which complicates the conundrum.

Thinking long-term, Mikel Merino is a stronger option than Thomas Partey. This goes without saying, otherwise the EURO 2024 winner would not have been signed.

Do you think Mikel Merino will make his Arsenal debut against Brighton?

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