Mikel Merino: Mikel Arteta reveals how new Arsenal signing will bring 'significant' boost in title chase

Mikel Arteta believes that Arsenal have been made “significantly stronger” as he hailed the signing of Mikel Merino.

Spain’s Euro 2024-winning midfielder finally completed his long-awaited move from Real Sociedad to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday afternoon following weeks of negotiations between the clubs, penning an initial four-year contract in north London that includes the option to extend by a further 12 months to 2029.

Arsenal have paid an initial £27.4million for Merino, with a further £4.2m potentially due in add-ons. He has been handed the No23 shirt and will immediately begin training with his new team-mates at London Colney ahead of a potential debut against in-form Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

The 28-year-old returns to the English top-flight after six years away, having previously played for Newcastle alongside stints with Osasuna, Borussia Dortmund and Sociedad, for whom he was an integral figure having scored 27 goals and laid on 30 assists in 242 total appearances for the LaLiga club after joining in the summer of 2018.

Merino is the second major signing made by Arsenal this summer, following the £42m arrival of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori from Serie A side Bologna last month.

Goalkeeper David Raya’s loan move from Brentford was also made permanent for £27m, while Arsenal still want to sign a new forward before Friday night’s 11pm BST transfer deadline.

They could also be in the market for further goalkeeping arrivals this week, with Espanyol’s Joan Garcia their preferred target to replace Aaron Ramsdale if the England international leaves amid ongoing interest from the likes of Ajax, Southampton, Wolves and Bournemouth.

Arsenal also want a homegrown option as their No3 goalkeeper after a failed move for Wolves’ Dan Bentley, while Eddie Nketiah is expected to join Crystal Palace for £30m after Fabio Vieira returned to Porto on loan and Charlie Patino completed a permanent switch to Deportivo La Coruna.

Confident Arsenal have made a 100 per cent start to the new Premier League campaign after early wins over Wolves and Aston Villa as they finally look to end their 20-year title drought after two near-misses and topple reigning champions Manchester City at the third time of asking.

And manager Arteta clearly believes that Merino’s presence in midfield will significantly help to bolster that ultimate goal.

He told the official Arsenal website of his namesake: “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.”

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Arsenal sporting director Edu also hailed the arrival of Merino, insisting that Arsenal saw off rival interest from multiple other clubs in order to get the deal over the line.

“We are so happy to have completed the transfer of Mikel Merino,” Edu said. “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.”