Summary:
- Arsenal and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino have inked a four-year contract with a 12-month expansion option.
- The deal is worth £27.4 million, with £4.2 million in performance add-ons.
- The 28-year-old’s transfer is the fourth signing of the summer for Arsenal, after Tommy Setford and Riccardo Calafiori, and David Raya’s permanent acquisition.
Premier League‘s Arsenal have signed Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino for a four-year contract with a one-year expansion clause.
The deal inked at the Emirates Stadium features the option for a further 12 months.
£27.4M Transfer with £4.2M Add-of for Performance
The club has agreed to initially pay £27.4 million for the Spanish international’s transfer, and a further £4.2 million in performance-related add-ons.
The negotiations with La Real were lengthy with the Spanish side constantly trying to obtain maximum value from the move. At the same time, Arsenal also wanted to make sure the player would arrive at the right price.
Merino is now the fourth player to sign a deal with Arsenal this summer.
He will be joining 18-year-old England youth international shot-stopper from Ajax Tommy Setford, Bologna’s 22-year-old defender Riccardo Calafiori who signed a long-term contract becoming their second summer recruit, and experienced goalkeeper David Raya considered one of Europe’s best in 2023/24 who initially arrived on loan from Brentford last summer.
Raya’s permanent acquisition marked the third transfer for the club this summer.
Merino, a Key Transfer on Arsenal’s List
28-year-old Merino, who was featured in each of his national team’s matches at the Euro 2024, scored a 119th-minute winner against Germany in the quarter-final after making an appearance as a substitute.
His combative playing style helped him more duels than any other player in the top five leagues in Europe last season.
Combined with his excellent winning mentality, he proved to be just what the Arsenal manager was looking for.
Arteta, known as a huge fan of Merino, commented on the transfer, calling the midfielder a player who will bring the squad “huge quality with his experience and versatility” while making it “significantly stronger, with his technical ability, together with his strong and positive character and personality”.
Arteta added they were “delighted to welcome Mikel and his family to the club and can’t wait to start working with him“.
Before joining Real Sociedad six years ago, Merino spent one season with Newcastle under Rafael Benitez and started 14 Premier League games.
On the Spanish side, he made 242 appearances, helping them grab the Copa del Rey in 2020.
He has also won European Championships with Spain’s U19 and U21 teams in 2015 and 2019.
In 2016, he came through the ranks at Osasuna prior to joining Borussia Dortmund. There, he scooped up the DFB-Pokal under Thomas Tuchel.
At Arsenal, he will wear the No. 23 shirt and could expect to be in line to feature in the Premier League meeting with Brighton this coming Saturday.
Edu, Arsenal’s sporting director, also took the opportunity to express their happiness for the completion of the transfer which he called “another great team effort from many people at the club”.
Edu called Mikel “a key target” for the club this summer, as they identified him as a player who can “fit perfectly” into their squad and profile to bring improvements.
Can Arsenal maintain their title credentials and finally get one over Man City or will they fall away again at the end of the season? Get all the latest odd from the Best Non UK Betting sites.