Two of our Spanish players have today been rewarded with new long term contracts at the club after impressing Wenger in different ways.
Merida has been unable to get a lot of playing time in Spain on loan with Real Sociedad due to one reason or another, but has done enough to suitably impress Wenger that his future is here with Arsenal:
“Yes we have extended his contract,” confirmed the manager. “That was planned and it is good news because he is a very fine player. He is one for the future.
“The reports I have from [his loan spell in] Spain are that he does well everytime he plays. Fran is very technical. He still needs to grow physically but football-wise there is no problem. He is an absolutely amazing player.”
I for one am very pleased about this as I think he has the potential to go a long way in football. He has an excellent footballing mind and great vision, and I think that next year he may find himself as a possible starter for the arling Cup if he comes back to join the squad, or, with a number of “smaller” clubs probably coming up from the Championship this season (Bristol City, Hull etc.), he may get a chance at one of those clubs and get a taste of premiership football before really establishing himself in the first team.
As for Almunia, he also has got a new long term contract that sees 30 year old at Arsenal for a good few years to come. This season he has improved far more than I expected, and although I do believe that his reign as first choice goalkeeper has to come to an end sooner rather than later, he will be a decent back up still. This is what he had to say about the way his career has changed in the last few years.
“I talked to my wife and I said I did not want to go back to Spain to play. Hopefully I can finish my career here. I am very happy, I have extended my contract and I hope to be here for a long, long time. Football can change your life in one second. At the start of the season, I was not playing. But football changed my life again and now I am one of the happiest men around.”
Morgan mate, where did you get that pic of Merida from?
I think I got it rom Marca, the Spanish newspaper.