Arsenal have completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
The Gunners last Thursday agreed a deal with the La Liga club for the permanent transfer of the European Championship winner after agreeing a deal worth around €32 million plus €5 million in add-ons.
The 28-year-old, who made 242 appearances for Sociedad, scoring 27 goals and assisting 30 times, has now been unveiled by Arsenal and will wear the number 23 jersey during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
Ready to achieve big things – together ❤️
Welcome to The Arsenal, Mikel Merino 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/WhbHXMaV1p
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 27, 2024
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar expressed their delight with the signing of the Spain international, who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals in their 2-1 win over Germany.
“Mikel [Merino] is a player who will bring us huge quality with his experience and versatility,” Arteta stated. “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.”
Edu added: “We are so happy to have completed the transfer of Mikel Merino. This has been another great team effort from many people at the club to finalise the transfer of a player who attracted interest from a number of clubs over the summer.
“Mikel was a key target for us this summer, and we identified him as a player who can fit perfectly into our squad and profile to improve us, as we aim to build on our strong performances of last season. With Mikel’s arrival, he brings us an added high quality of experience, physicality and athleticism as we look forward to this season ahead.
“We welcome Mikel and his family to the club and look forward to seeing him play in the Arsenal shirt.”
Merino will immediately link up with the rest of the Arsenal squad at their Sobha Realty Training Centre, where they continue preparations for their Premier League matchday three encounter against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, August 31.
