Qwiss has he ever been fully fit when Merino was chosen regularly as striker?
Merino started striker last spring IIRC and and got injured this winter. Jesus was out for most of that time so if you'd like to ignore him for the sake of this argument feel free, he's still at max 3rd choice, and headed out the door if the club could find a buyer for him. In fact I can't remember Arteta signing that many players who are below 5 foot 10 and if he did they are all either gone or being pushed out the door.
It's just a known thing that Arteta prioritises physical abilities like height, strength and stamina. All you need to do is look at the majority of signings we've made over the last few years. Especially through the spine of the team and at the back.
He's also a bit of an exception as they were together at City and had a close relationship, just like Zinchenko and Sterling. Obviously you get some exceptions like his former City boys he signed before (like Jesus, Zinchenko, and Sterling), or players like Raya who he'd been chasing for years. But these are more exceptions to the rules.
