SPORTS NEWS; – The 28-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the option for an additional year, moving to north London after Arsenal agreed to an initial fee of £27.4 million, supplemented by £4.2 million in performance-related add-ons.
“Mikel is a player who will significantly enhance our squad with his experience and versatility,” stated manager Mikel Arteta.
Merino was a member of the Spain national team that triumphed in Euro 2024, participating in all seven matches and netting a crucial late goal in extra time against Germany during the quarter-finals.
He marks Arsenal’s third acquisition of the transfer window, following the signings of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, with the club exercising their option to purchase him from Brentford after his loan last year.
“Mikel will greatly strengthen our team with his technical skills, as well as his strong and positive character,” Arteta further commented.
“As demonstrated during the summer, Mikel is a proven winner, with his outstanding performances throughout the Euros contributing to Spain’s success in the tournament.”
Merino is capable of playing as a deeper midfielder and is expected to complement Declan Rice, who frequently played a ‘box-to-box’ role last season.
Additionally, he offers Arsenal’s manager Arteta another option in midfield, competing with Rice, Jorginho, Thomas Partey, and Martin Odegaard.
Having previously played in the Premier League for a year at Newcastle before joining Real Sociedad in 2018, Merino has experience in the league, where he played alongside Odegaard during the 2019-20 season when the Norwegian was on loan from Real Madrid.
The new signing, who has earned 28 caps for his country, made 45 appearances for his club across all competitions last season, scoring eight goals.
