Arsenal icon Ray Parlor believes the signing of Spanish star Mikel Merino by his former club will delight Declan Rice.
Merino, star of Euro 2024, will join the Gunners for the third time in the summer. They have already secured the permanent signings of goalkeeper David Raya and defender Riccardo Calafiori, valued at £42m.
Mikel Arteta is reportedly willing to bring the 28-year-old midfielder to the Emirates for a reasonable £25million. And reports recommend that Merino has already agreed non-public terms with the north London club.
Cult hero Parlor believes a new midfielder betting alongside talisman Rice would give the Englishman more license to move forward and improve Arteta’s side. Merino inspired his country’s Euro triumph this summer, scoring the winning goal in the 119th minute to help them beat Germany in the quarter-finals. After that, they beat Rice’s England 2-1 in the final.
Although his club, Real Sociedad, presented him with a new contract despite interest from the Gunners, the midfielder has had positive conversations with Arteta’s team. And now it seems very likely that he will return to the Premier League, after a lackluster spell at Newcastle. in 2017/18.
Speaking to talksSPORT, Parlor highlighted the importance of a strong duo in midfield, saying: “They are in Thomas Partey. He could be on the verge of leaving, so they want a bit of reinforcement in this midfield.
“[Signing Merino] gives Declan Rice a little bit more license to move forward if you have a midfielder there. I know he plays like that for England in that passer role, but I like to see Declan move forward. And as I said Before I’m a bit of an old-school midfielder, I like box-to-box players.
“It’s just your normal sense as a midfielder. If someone playing with you gets in front of you and moves forward, you update him and vice versa. It’s very, very simple. “
Defining Merino’s role in midfield is difficult. He scored 8 goals in all competitions last season and added five assists, so he knows how to attack.
However, he has recorded the highest number of duels won by any player in Europe’s top seven leagues, with 326, so he is also capable of following up and covering the backline. “He’s a smart age. He’s perfect,” Parlor added.
“He will be at his best until then. I think they have a smart relationship with Real Sociedad anyway, and Arsenal said: ‘It’s a decent deal. ‘”
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