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Arsenal have announced the signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad with Mikel Arteta believing that the Spain international brings “huge quality” to his squad.
The midfielder has signed a four-year deal at the North London club and has the option of an extra year. Merino will wear the number 23 shirt during the 2024/25 campaign, which was last worn by Albert Sambi Lokonga.
The 28-year-old has moved to the Emirates Stadium from Real Sociedad as part of a £31.6m deal, which is broken down into an initial transfer fee of £27.4m with a further £4.2m in add-ons, reports Sky Sports.
The addition of Merino to the current Arsenal squad is a big deal for Mikel Arteta as the Spaniard has been one of the best midfielders in La Liga in recent years.
Merino was a vital player at Real Sociedad having joined the Basque side in 2018, appearing in 242 matches for the Spanish club, scoring 27 goals and assisting 30 times. The midfield star also has Premier League experience having played for Newcastle between 2017 and 2018.
The Spanish international has become the Gunners’ fourth signing of the current transfer window following the arrivals of Tommy Setford and Riccardo Calafiori, as well as the permanent acquisition of David Raya.
Mikel Arteta will be excited to get to work with Merino and has stated that the Euro 2024 winner brings “huge quality” to his squad.
Mikel Arteta full of praise for new signing Mikel Merino
Following the announcement of Merino’s arrival at Arsenal, Arteta spoke about the player to the North London club’s media team and was full of praise for the Spain international.
The Gunners boss told Arsenal.com: “Mikel is a player who will bring us huge quality with his experience and versatility. He has played at the top of the game at both club and international level for a number of seasons now. Mikel will make our squad significantly stronger, with his technical ability, together with his strong and positive character and personality.
“As we all saw in the summer, Mikel is also a winner, with his strong performances throughout the Euros helping Spain win the tournament. We are delighted to welcome Mikel and his family to the club and can’t wait to start working with him.”
Arsenal face Brighton on Saturday in the Premier League and Merino is expected to be available for the clash at the Emirates Stadium.
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