Arsenal have now confirmed the signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, after weeks of negotiations.
Merino has signed his Arsenal contract, which will run until 2028 with an option to extend it by a year, and the 28-year-old will hope to make an instant impact in North London.
Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil highlighted Merino’s importance to his side over the last six years, and his experience will come in useful in a relatively young Arsenal squad.
The Spaniard will join as one of the older players in the starting XI, and one of Mikel Arteta’s oldest signings. Whilst this is a surprising move in this sense, Merino can have a positive impact on some of the younger players at the club.
Ethan Nwaneri is a rising star on the verge of a first-team breakthrough, and the midfielder may particularly benefit from Merino’s presence at the club.
Mikel Merino serves as a role model to younger midfielders
Speaking to CBS in 2021, Merino revealed that as one of the older midfielders in the Spain squad at the time, despite being just 25, he took it upon himself to support the young sensations such as Pedri and Ansu Fati, as the teenagers adapted to a high level of football early on in their careers.
“There is a thing that you cannot teach, and that is experience,” he stated.
“So when I play with these kinds of guys (Pedri and Gavi), obviously it’s great having them by your side, and I have to try to help everybody with my experience.
“Obviously when you are with a guy like 30 years old or older, you try to learn, try to listen, and try to understand what they are saying to improve.
“So right now I am kind of young, 25, it depends on where you see me. I have some more years in in my career, but I have lived a lot of things.
“I have different experiences, been in different countries, different cultures, so I think I can use that in my side, and try to help my teammates who are younger than me using that experience. So for me that’s my part, that’s my calling.”
Mikel Merino can help Ethan Nwaneri’s development at Arsenal
Merino is 28, making him older than most of the signings usually made by Arteta. However, any concerns over his long-term viability as a starter are offset by the emergence of Nwaneri.
Nwaneri can be moulded into a central midfielder over the next few seasons, and eventually be the long-term replacement for Merino.
Nwaneri can benefit from Merino’s mentorship qualities, and learn from a midfielder who has performed at the very top level, and who was a consistently good player in a strong La Liga side over six years.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
