PREMIER LEAGUE
Mikel Merino completes Arsenal move: transfer fee and contract details
Arsenal have announced the signing of the Spain international, who joins on a long-term deal from Real Sociedad. Merino spent a season on loan in the Premier League with Newcastle.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta can finally speak openly about Mikel Merino, who is now on board with the Gunners. After long weeks of negotiations, in which the Spanish coach has been a key figure in persuading the midfielder to leave Real Sociedad for London, Arsenal made official the signing of the 28-year-old who was part of the Spain side that were crowned European champions earlier this summer.
How much did Arsenal pay for Mikel Merino?
Merino returns to the Premier League after the Gunners paid a fixed fee of $36.8 million and agreed another $5.5 million in variable amounts. The player has signed a four-year contract, until 2028, with the option of a one-year extension.
He becomes the third signing for the London club, following goalkeeper David Raya who joined last season on loan but made the move permanent this summer and Italian central defender Riccardo Calafiori, who completed a $50.2 million switch from Bologna at the end of July.
Merino, who was thanked in a press conference by his now ex-coach Imanol Alguacil for his contributions to the Txuri-urdin and said he was “proud to see him now taking this step”, thus brings to an end a six-year journey defending the Real Sociedad shirt. During his time in San Sebastián, the new Arsenal player played 242 games, in which he scored 27 goals and provided 26 assists.
The battle for a place in Arsenal’s midfield
While the Spanish midfielder will have to be at his best if he wants to gain a regular starting place in a midfield currently made up of Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey, at least he has some experience of what life is like in the Premier League.
In 2017, Newcastle signed the then Borussia Dortmund player on loan. During the 2017-2018 season, Merino played 25 games for the Magpies. The English side took ownership of the Spaniard before selling him, in the summer of 2018, to Real Sociedad for $13.4 million.
Merino thus fulfills his wish to return to the English top flight - and joins one of the contenders for the title. Meanwhile, Arteta finally finds the long-awaited replacement for Granit Xhaka. With Kai Havertz definitely adapted to the false ‘9′ position, the former Txuri-urdin player aims to be that physical inside midfielder, with arrival and presence in the rival area that will make Arsenal an almost perfect team.