Arsenal appear to be closing in on the signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, with the Spain star keen on a move to the Emirates.
It has been reported that Arsenal are nearing an agreement with Real Sociedad for Merino, who could complete a move to the Emirates Stadium in the coming days.
Merino would arrive as a Euro 2024 winner with Spain, as well as an accomplished player in La Liga, in a similar manner to the signing of Santi Cazorla in 2012.
It is not the first time Arsenal are signing a player directly from the Spanish top flight. In fact, Arsenal have signed 18 players from La Liga before, and there was a mixture of disastrous flops and world-class successes.
Arsenal’s 18 signings from La Liga clubs, Mikel Merino could be next
Davor Suker
The Croatian arrived as a world-renowned star from Real Madrid in 1999, a year after winning the Golden Boot at the 1998 World Cup.
Suker joined Arsenal one day before Thierry Henry, but unlike the Frenchman, the striker lasted just one season at Highbury.
Lauren
Cameroonian right-back Lauren joined Arsenal from Mallorca in 2000, and became a strong performer in the Invincibles side.
However, some Arsenal fans wanted Lauren replaced at the time of the Invincibles and replaced with a talent from the academy. Where have we heard that one before?
Manuel Almunia
Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia joined Arsenal in 2002 from Celta Vigo as competition for Jens Lehmann, but Arsene Wenger perhaps misjudged this one.
Almunia and Lehmann never saw eye to eye, and the pair were anything but friendly to each other. When Lehmann left, Almunia became number one, but he was so erratic that Wenger tried to sign Mark Schwarzer from Fulham, to no avail.
Cesc Fabregas
The Spaniard arrived from Barcelona as a teenager and was a massive hit. Fabregas broke into a tough Arsenal midfield as a 17-year-old and eventually became club captain before moving back to Barcelona in 2011.
Jose Antonio Reyes
Spanish attacker Jose Antonio Reyes was an instant hit at Arsenal after joining from Sevilla in January 2004.
Reyes scored some iconic goals in his time at Arsenal, but became homesick and never truly settled in London, leading to a move back to Spain with Real Madrid.
Julio Baptista
When Reyes went to Real Madrid, Arsenal got Brazilian striker Julio Baptista in exchange on loan.
Baptista scored just four goals for Arsenal, but all four came in an astonishing 6-3 win over Liverpool at Anfield in the League Cup.
Sebastian Squillaci
Arsenal thought they were getting an experienced, composed head in defence when they signed Sebastian Squillaci from Sevilla in 2010.
The centre-back was brought in to fix the defensive issues at the back, but he arguably made them worse, and he was released three years after he joined.
Santi Cazorla
One of Arsenal’s best signings from Spain, Wenger was able to land Cazorla on a bargain deal from Malaga in 2012.
Cazorla arrived as a Euro winner and instantly added sheer quality to the Arsenal midfield, with Wojciech Szczesny once claiming the entire Arsenal squad applauded Wenger after Cazorla first trained with them.
Serious injury ended Cazorla’s Arsenal career prematurely, but he proved to be one of Wenger’s best signings in his reign.
(L-R) Nacho Monreal and Santi Cazorla of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on May 5, 2018 in St Albans, England.
Nacho Monreal
Six months after Cazorla arrived, Arsenal went back to Malaga to sign left-back Nacho Monreal.
After a shaky start, Monreal became an incredibly consistent figure for Arsenal, and is the quickest player to reach 50 Premier League wins for Arsenal, managing it in just 70 games.
Mesut Ozil
The highest-profile signing of them all, Ozil joined on transfer deadline day in 2013, in a club-record deal from Real Madrid.
Ozil arrived as one of the best players in the world, and his world-class talent was evident when he provided an assist just 11 minutes into his Arsenal debut.
The German produced a lot of magic over the years in North London, but his form faded away before he was released under Mikel Arteta.
Alexis Sanchez
A year after Ozil joined, Arsenal signed Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona in another coup, and the Chilean was special in front of goal for the club.
Sanchez exited Arsenal on bad terms as he joined Manchester United, in a move he instantly regretted, but his three-and-a-half years in London did see him win two FA Cups.
Gabriel Paulista
Arsenal were in dire need of a centre-back in January 2015, and they thought they landed a gem when they signed Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal.
However, despite his rugged style, the Brazilian was shaky at times, and he was eventually sold to Valencia in the summer of 2017, where he thrived until his departure last winter.
Shkodran Mustafi
Arsenal paid a hefty fee to sign World Cup-winning defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia in 2016, and he started superbly, embarking on a 22-game unbeaten run.
However, mistakes crept into his game, and he eventually became a liability at the back in Wenger’s final season at the club. £35m was not well spent.
Lucas Perez
The summer of 2016 was a mostly underwhelming one, and the final few days of the window saw Mustafi join alongside Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez.
The Spaniard was rarely given a chance by Wenger, and he was eventually loaned and sold. The best of Perez was definitely seen in Spain rather than England.
Denis Suarez
Unai Emery’s only January transfer window at Arsenal was a quiet one, and he made just one signing, as Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez joined on loan.
Emery had worked with Suarez at Sevilla, but the Spaniard spent most of his time at the club injured before ending his loan.
Dani Ceballos
Arsenal needed to replace Aaron Ramsey in the summer of 2019, and thought they landed a coup by signing Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos on loan.
Ceballos was sensational on his Emirates debut against Burnley, and had some good moments in his first season, leading to his return on loan for another year. However, his second season was disastrous, as several high-profile errors led to Arsenal’s exit from the Europa League.
(L-R) Dani Ceballos and Thomas Partey of Arsenal during a trining session at London Colney on February 24, 2021 in St Albans, England.
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Thomas Partey
Despite the return of Ceballos, Arsenal needed another midfielder, and they pulled off another coup as they signed Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid.
Partey arrived as a top-class defensive midfielder, and he has shown this at Arsenal. However, he was also injury-free during his time in La Liga, and it has been an entirely different story since.
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard was one of the most in-demand wonderkids in the world when he joined Real Madrid, but after a few loan spells he needed to settle somewhere.
Odegaard arrived on loan in 2021, and eventually made his move permanent. After joining as a talented young midfielder, he is now leading the Arsenal team as captain and one of the best players in the Premier League.
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