Mikel Arteta explains four strengths that new signing Mikel Merino will bring to Arsenal

Mikel Arteta has outlined four strengths which new £27million signing Mikel Merino will bring to Arsenal.

Merino, 28, has joined the Gunners from Spanish side Real Sociedad, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months. The fee could rise to around £32m with add-ons.

A European Championship winner who boasts Champions League experience, Merino will bolster Arsenal’s midfield during their bid to finally win the Premier League title for the first time since 2004. Club sources believe that the Gunners are getting one of Europe’s best midfielders for a cut-price fee, with the Spain international having entered the final year of his contract with Real Sociedad.

Arteta, meanwhile, has picked out four elements of Merino’s game which will improve his Arsenal side. “Mikel is a player who will bring us huge quality with his experience and versatility,” the Gunners boss began.

“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.”

Merino’s experience combined with his technical ability, strong character and winning mentality are all strengths which Arteta will hope to utilise in the new season. But it won’t be easy for Merino to earn a starting place, as the 28-year-old will compete with Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Jorginho for one of two spots behind captain Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal fans can not only look forward to seeing Merino’s technical quality but also his defensive attributes, as he won more duels than any other player across Europe’s top five leagues last season (326). “I think that’s a big part of my game and that shows the character that I have,” Merino told club media.

“I want to fight for every ball and this is something that I learnt when I was really young. Maybe you can win it, or you won’t. I’m not promising I will win every duel, but what I can promise is that I will fight for every ball with 100 per cent.

“It’s always tough to talk about myself in those kinds of terms, but I think I’m a hard worker, I want to call myself a good team-mate. I like to work for the team with or without the ball. I’m always thinking about the collective aspect of the game. I like to play with the ball, I have a Spanish culture of football.”