Gunners engine room reaches 'unreal' levels
Merino has sensationally claimed that Arsenal "probably" boast the "best midfield in football" following the high-profile acquisition of Guimaraes. The Brazilian star swapped St James’ Park for the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth £75m, ending a protracted saga that eventually saw the former Newcastle talisman sign a four-year contract with the north London giants.
'Probably the best midfield in football'
Reflecting on the sheer volume of talent available to Mikel Arteta, Merino expressed his excitement regarding the competition for places within the squad. "Honestly, it’s unreal. Probably the best midfield in football," the Tournament winner said. "The amount of quality that we have there, with every player that can come on the pitch and make a good shift. It’s great.
"That’s good for the team. That’s good for the squad. It raises everyone’s level because if you have a bad day, the one that is close to you is going to do a great job."
Merino continued when discussing his new team-mate: "Amazing signing. He has proved throughout these years how good he is at Newcastle. And he showed it today again.
"A lot of composure, technical ability, a lot of defensive effort as well. So it’s a very good signing. A top player, but we have many of those in this team. So everyone that comes to help the team is welcome."
Guimaraes makes immediate impact on debut
The new signing did not waste any time getting integrated into the setup, making his first appearance in a Gunners shirt during a pre-season clash against Italian outfit Como. Despite his recent arrival, Arteta was impressed by the player's eagerness to contribute immediately, revealing that the Brazilian was really pushing to play some minutes just days after joining his new team-mates.
"He's only had three training sessions, but he looked good. He was really pushing to play some minutes today," Arteta told reporters. "He wanted to get his debut and the feeling of playing in front of our fans immediately. You sense it immediately. I believe there's a strong connection at play and that is going to make us better."
Hunger remains high for title defence
Despite their recent success, Merino insisted that the squad is far from satisfied with their current trophy cabinet. The Spaniard emphasized that the depth and quality of the squad are matched by a relentless hunger to win every competition they enter.
"I think we have an amazing squad. The hunger is still there. Not because we won it last season, we’re going to be happy with it," Merino added. "We want more and more and more and we want every trophy possible. That’s the best quality of this team. Not only the amount of depth that we have, the quality that we have in every position, but that hunger."