Mikel Merino describes Arsenal training methods as unlike anything he has seen
Midfielder refers to physical and mental challenges ‘There is no rest,’ Merino says after making debut
Mikel Merino says he is seeing football in a different way after his first month or so under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. The Spain midfielder made a belated debut in Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League home win over Paris Saint-Germain, having recovered from the shoulder blade fracture sustained in his first training session.
It has been a frustrating time for Merino, who signed from Real Sociedad for £31.6m at the end of August, and there was delight and relief for him when he came on as a 64th-minute substitute, taking his place alongside Declan Rice. His initial impression of his new club, specifically the intensity and meticulousness of the training, echoes how Rice felt after he joined from West Ham in the summer of last year.
