Arsenal have accomplished the signing of Spain midfielder Mikel Merino from Actual Sociedad for a payment that would attain £31.6m.
The 28-year-old strikes to north London on a four-year contract with the choice of an additional 12 months after the Gunners agreed to pay an preliminary £27.4m plus £4.2m in add-ons.
Merino was a part of the Spain squad that gained Euro 2024, that includes in all seven matches within the event and scoring a late winner in further time in opposition to Germany within the quarter-final.
He turns into Arsenal’s third signing of the switch window, after the arrival of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spain goalkeeper David Raya, with the Gunners activating the choice to completely purchase him from Brentford.
Merino can function as a deeper-lying midfielder and it’s thought he’ll complement Declan Rice, who performed a ‘box-to-box’ function at occasions final season.
He additionally offers Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta with one other choice to compete with Rice, Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard in midfield.
Merino has earlier expertise of the Premier League, having spent a 12 months at Newcastle earlier than shifting to Actual Sociedad in 2018, the place he performed alongside Odegaard in 2019-20 when the Norwegian was on mortgage from Actual Madrid.
Merino, who has 28 worldwide caps, made 45 membership appearances in all competitions final season, scoring eight objectives.