"We're your family now, enjoy life as a Gunner" - Arsenal star pens heartwarming letter to new signing Mikel Merino
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard penned a touching message to the Gunners' new signing Mikel Merino. The Norwegian midfielder claimed that the north Londoners would achieve 'big things' with the addition of the Spaniard to their squad.
Merino joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad earlier this week for a reported fee worth up to £31.6 million with add-ons. The 28-year-old enjoyed a stellar six-year spell with the La Liga outfit, with 27 goals and 30 assists in 242 appearances.
The midfielder played an important role in Spain's EURO 2024 triumph, prompting the Gunners to fast-forward their efforts to bring him over to the Premier League. After completing his signing, manager Mikel Arteta expressed his elation to have Merino in the squad, and Odegaard echoed the boss' sentiments.
In a post made by the Gunners on X, the Spanish enforcer is seen reading out the letter written to him by the club captain. It read (via afcstuff on X):
"Welcome to the family mate. We're delighted that you're now part of the team. You'll have a great time here and you'll bring a lot to the team and help us improve. I'm convinced that we will achieve big things together. We're here for whatever you need in order to settle in as quickly as possible. We're your family now. Enjoy life as a Gunner. Vamos, Martin Odegaard."
Merino will be a valuable addition to Arsenal's midfield stocks, which already boasts world-class talents like Odegaard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey.
"I want to fight for every ball" - Mikel Merino details what he will bring to the table after signing for Arsenal
Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino detailed the qualities that he would bring to Mikel Arteta's squad after signing for Arsenal from Real Sociedad. In an interview with the Gunners' official website, Merino said:
"I think that's a big part of my game and that shows the character that I have. 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 percent."
“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 teammate. 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," Merino concluded.
Merino won more duels (326) than any other player in Europe's top 5 leagues in the 2023-24 campaign. He will be hoping to bring the same qualities over to north London and could make his debut in Arsenal's next Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, August 31.