Arsenal Sign Spain Star Merino From Real Sociedad

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Arsenal completed the signing of Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. The Spain midfielder will reportedly cost the Gunners an initial 32mn euros with a further 5mn euros in add-ons. Merino scored the winner in Spain's dramatic Euros quarter-final win over hosts Germany. The 28-year-old has spent the last six years at Sociedad, but does have prior experience of English football. Merino spent a season at Newcastle in 2017/18 but largely struggled to shine before returning to Spain.
He becomes Arsenal's second new signing of the transfer window after the arrival of Italian international defender Riccardo Calafiori. Goalkeeper David Raya's loan from Brentford was also made a permanent move.
Arsenal have finished second to Manchester City in each of the past two Premier League seasons. The North London giants are aiming to end a wait since 2003/04 to win the title.
Szczesny retires from football, saying 'my heart is not there anymore'
Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on Tuesday announced he was retiring from football at the age of 34 less than two weeks after the end of his contract with Juventus.“Today, though my body still feels ready for challenges, my heart is not there anymore. I feel that right now it is time to give all of my attention to my family“, he wrote.“Therefore, I have decided to retire.”
Szczesny won 84 international caps, the last at Euro 2024 where he started as Poland lost their first two group games but was rested for their last match, a dead rubber against France. He played club football most notably for Arsenal and Juventus. He recalled leaving Poland for Arsenal in 2006.“Little did I know it would be a start of a journey of a lifetime,” he wrote.
He joined Juventus in 2017 from Arsenal, where he won two FA Cups, succeeding the legendary Gianluigi Buffon. He won three Serie A titles and three Italian Cups. In 252 matches for the club he kept 103 clean sheets.
On August 14, Juventus announced that they had agreed a mutual termination of their contract with Szczesny. Italian media linked the goalkeeper with a possible move to a club in Saudi Arabia.“I played the game at the highest level with the best players in history without ever feeling inferior,” Szczesny wrote on Instagram.“I gave the game 18 years of my life, every day, without excuses.”
Cancelo leaves Man City for Saudi club Al Hilal
Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo has signed for Saudi club Al Hilal from Premier League champions Manchester City. The 30-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona, has penned a three-year deal with the Saudi Pro League title-holders.
Cancelo joined City in 2019 from Juventus and was a key player in his first three seasons at the club. But he reportedly fell out with manager Pep Guardiola over his lack of playing time midway through the 2022-23 campaign and spent the rest of that season on loan at Bayern Munich.
Cancelo won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and League Cup at the Etihad Stadium. He also played six times in City's first victorious Champions League campaign in 2022-23.
Cancelo is Al Hilal's first high-profile signing of the transfer window and joins Brazilian star Neymar and former Premier League players Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves and Aleksandar Mitrovic in Jorge Jesus' squad.

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