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Opinion
Who Mikel Merino sat next to in first Arsenal team meeting is very telling
Arsenal have just completed the signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad.
The Gunners announced the signing of Merino on Wednesday making him eligible to feature against against Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend.
In their YouTube unveiling video, Merino was seen addressing the Arsenal squad in meeting, thanking them for the warm welcome.
But, perhaps the most interesting topic of the video, was who he sat next to…
Mikel Merino sat next to Gabriel Martinelli in Arsenal meeting
Merino was spotted sitting next to Gabriel Martinelli in the Arsenal meeting room and it could be another unique play from Arteta.
After the pickpocketing experiment, it’s evident The Gunners boss goes into intricate detail to gain that extra one per cent edge on the pitch.
This time, there’s been a suggestion that he purposefully sat Martinelli next to Merino so the pair can form a close-knit relationship off the pitch which could translate to matches.
Indeed, Merino and Martinelli are expected to mainly operate down the left channel and will often be linking up with each other.
It may be somewhat of a stretch but it would align with Arteta’s wacky yet inspired ideas.
Martin Odegaard will help Mikel Merino settle in
Martin Odegaard and Merino played together at Real Sociedad, so the Gunners skipper will be helpful in getting him to adjust to his new surroundings.
In his first interview, Merino revealed what Martin Odegaard messaged him when he signed.
“Yes, we exchanged some messages a few days ago,” the 28-year-old said, via .
“He told me he was really happy for me to take this next step in my life.
“It was amazing sharing the pitch with him back in the day. I have a lot of good memories of our connection and hopefully we can have an even better connection here.”