Gunners win Merida race
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Arsenal have won the race for Spanish wonderkid Fran Merida, with the 16-year-old opting to join The Gunners after leaving Barcelona.
The hugely promising midfielder is in London to put the final touches to the transfer which sees him follow in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas in swapping Camp Nou for Arsene Wenger's side at a young age.
Merida scored for an Arsenal XI in a 4-0 win over Boreham Wood on Friday night and will now hope to enjoy the same rapid rise through the Gunners ranks as his much-vaunted compatriot.
Merida's arrival as the club enter a new era at the Emirates Stadium is a sizeable coup for Arsenal given the large level of interest in the player, with Manchester United and Liverpool both keen on the skilful midfielder.
However his capture may come with its own problems as Barcelona are believed to be looking into the possibility of involving Uefa given their anger at losing another young prospect to English shores.
Fabregas and Manchester United's Gerard Pique both departed in 2003 and Merida's exit is also contentious due to the fact that reports in the Spanish media in March claimed that Merida's agent Joseba Diaz, who also represents Fabregas, had been keeping the player away from the Catalan side in order to secure his passage to The Premiership.
Arsenal are no strangers to transfer controversy having angered clubs in the past due to the captures of players such as Nicolas Anelka and Mathieu Flamini, but Merida will now be focused on carving out a successful career for himself under the watchful guidance of Wenger.
The hugely promising midfielder is in London to put the final touches to the transfer which sees him follow in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas in swapping Camp Nou for Arsene Wenger's side at a young age.
Merida scored for an Arsenal XI in a 4-0 win over Boreham Wood on Friday night and will now hope to enjoy the same rapid rise through the Gunners ranks as his much-vaunted compatriot.
Merida's arrival as the club enter a new era at the Emirates Stadium is a sizeable coup for Arsenal given the large level of interest in the player, with Manchester United and Liverpool both keen on the skilful midfielder.
However his capture may come with its own problems as Barcelona are believed to be looking into the possibility of involving Uefa given their anger at losing another young prospect to English shores.
Fabregas and Manchester United's Gerard Pique both departed in 2003 and Merida's exit is also contentious due to the fact that reports in the Spanish media in March claimed that Merida's agent Joseba Diaz, who also represents Fabregas, had been keeping the player away from the Catalan side in order to secure his passage to The Premiership.
Arsenal are no strangers to transfer controversy having angered clubs in the past due to the captures of players such as Nicolas Anelka and Mathieu Flamini, but Merida will now be focused on carving out a successful career for himself under the watchful guidance of Wenger.
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