Arsenal signed Mikel Merino from Spanish side Real Sociedad in the summer of 2024, in order to hand a boost to their midfield.
Merino, 28, was subject to a lot of reports about whether he would actually move to Arsenal in the summer, but following a long wait, and extended negotiations, he made the move to the Emirates.
The Spain international came to many people’s attention during Euro 2024, when he was part of the Spanish side that beat England in the final to lift their first trophy since Euro 2012.
Merino has made a total of 31 appearances for his national team, scoring two goals. He has now become a household name in the Premier League, helping Mikel Arteta in his search for Arsenal’s first league title since the 2003/04 season.
Merino’s emergence in Spain, and forgotten Premier League spell
Merino began his career at the age of 17 with Spanish side Osasuna, who handed the midfielder his first professional contract.
He made his debut with the Osasuna first team in August 2014, aged 18, in a La Liga 2 game against Barcelona B. The young Spaniard didn’t have to wait long for his first goal either, as it came just four months later in a 2-1 win against Las Palmas.
In his first season as a professional, Merino made 29 appearances despite being at such a young age. He scored once and contributed four assists in the second division.
After that, the midfielder continued for one more season with Osasuna making 38 appearances, and dramatically improving his scoring record by netting seven times.
His impressive performances attracted the attention of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, who signed him in the summer of 2016 for £3.1m. His first league appearance for the German side came in October 2016, when he played a full 90 minutes against Hertha Berlin.
Merino made just nine appearances in his first year at Dortmund before leaving on loan for Newcastle United for the entirety of the 2017/18 season.
He made 24 Premier League appearances for the Magpies, scoring one goal and contributing one assist. Due to the amount of matches he played, Newcastle had to then sign him permanently thanks to a clause in his contract at Dortmund, they paid £5.1m.
However, after his one season at St James’ Park, Newcastle decided to sell the midfielder for a fee of £10m to Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Return to Spain and signing for Arsenal
That is where Merino made a name for himself, making over 240 appearances in the following six years that he spent with Sociedad. He scored 27 goals, and contributed 30 assists for the Spanish side.
During his time there, Merino also won his first big piece of silverware, as they won the Copa Del Rey in the 2019/20 season.
After his successful spell at Sociedad and with Spain in Euro 2024, Merino then signed for Arsenal for a fee of £31.6m, signing a four-year-contract which is due to keep him at the Emirates until June 2028.
Merino will be hoping to welcome former Sociedad teammate Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal too, as the Gunners have all but agreed a summer transfer for his former midfield partner.
Three things you didn’t know about Arsenal midfielder Merino
Merino comes from a footballing family, his father was both a player and a manager, making over 500 career appearances as a player for the likes of Osasuna, Celta Vigo and Leganes.
He managed Osasuna’s youth teams between 2004 and 2013, meaning that he got to briefly manage Merino before he broke into Osasuna’s first team.
Merino broke a record in the 2023/24 season, as he won more duels than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues (326). His number is 40 more than his closest rival in the statistic, Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes.
Finally, Merino virtually manifested his future move to Arsenal when he was just a child. There is a picture of him, shared by BBC Sport, in an Arsenal kit at a very young age. He said in an interview: “My Uncles bought that kit for me. They told me ‘okay pose right there like you’re signing for Arsenal, who knows in the future what’s going to happen’.”