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Some decision-makers at Arsenal disagreed with Mikel Arteta signing £27m player this month
Although there have been very few questions regarding the quality of players Arsenal have recruited this summer, some supporters would like to have added more.
Many still feel as if Mikel Arteta would benefit from Arsenal signing a forward before Friday’s deadline, perhaps to replace Reiss Nelson.
Nelson hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong when handed a chance, but he’s not pushing Bukayo Saka on the right, and he offers a very different skill-set off of the bench.
That being said, Arsenal are alert to opportunities before the deadline, they’re seemingly in the market for a Leandro Trossard type – a squad player also ready to start in the XI.
Of course, Arsenal have already signed Mikel Merino to improve their midfield depth, a player who could often find himself in Arteta’s starting lineup.
Some senior figures at Arsenal weren’t in agreeance over Mikel Merino signing
Judging by his performances at the Euros for Spain this summer, Merino looks like a superb addition for Arsenal – a number eight who can finally replace Granit Xhaka in the way Kai Havertz was initially intended.
However, according to a report by , the decision to sign Merino at Arsenal wasn’t entirely unanimous.
READ MORE: £25m player wins MOTM with ‘perfect’ display just days before he’s supposed to sign for Arsenal
From day one, Arteta was convinced that Merino was the right fit, however, there were some high-level talks among the Arsenal hierarchy questioning if it was the right deal.
That was because of Merino’s age, there were reservations about adding the 28-year-old to a midfield that already included 31-year-old Thomas Partey and Jorginho at 32.
However, Arsenal evidently decided to back their manager and his ideas, and they achieved good value in the process at .
Kieran Tierney is right to call Mikel Merino a ‘beast’
Of course, when considering Merino’s age and justifying Arsenal’s decision, you need only look across the club’s Premier League rivals, Manchester City.
City re-signed 33-year-old Ilkay Gundogan this summer, adding him to a midfield which already contains three players over 30: Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.
Arsenal will benefit from the extra experience Merino boasts, a player who improved immensely since his days in England with Newcastle United.
As per his former teammate Kieran Tierney, Merino is a ‘’ in duels these days, winning almost every header he competes for.
And there’s reason to believe that Merino could be a crucial member of Arsenal’s starting team in the weeks and months to come.