A highly technical and creative player who can perform in the centre or left side of midfield, Merida is considered a very hot prospect
Francisco Mérida Pérez arrived in England from Spain in the summer of 2006. In his first season he appeared 33 times for the academy and the reserves scoring nine times. Merida then signed a professional contract with Arsenal in January 2007 and made his first team debut as a substitute in Arsenal’s 2-0 Carling Cup victory against Newcastle later that year.
In the summer of 2007, Merida appeared for Spain in the UEFA Under 17 Championships and after impressive performances the Spaniard created the winning goal against England in the final. After the final, the Spaniard was named in the tournament’s top ten stars for the future.
In January 2008, Merida was loaned out to Real Sociedad for a four-month spell making 14 appearances and finding the net once. Returning from loan, Merida was handed his first start for the club in Arsenal’s impressive 6-0 Carling Cup win over Sheffield United.
A highly technical and creative player who can perform in the centre or left side of midfield, Merida has made a vast impact since joining from Barcelona and is considered one of their prized assets for the future.