20 year-old Spaniard moves to Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

Fran Merida has left Arsenal following three seasons on the fringes of the first team squad. Merida followed in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas when Arsene Wenger signed him from Barcelona in 2007 but unlike our captain, Merida has never displayed enough consistent quality when given an opportunity in the first team.

His first goal for the club came against Liverpool this season and it was a memorable strike that helped us reach the quarter finals of the League Cup. However, it wasn’t enough to persuade the manager to give him a run in the first team and with his contract expiring this summer, Merida could not turn down a chance of playing for the team that he supports back in Spain.

Every Arsenal fan will be hoping that Fabregas does not follow his compatriot back to La Liga this summer and after the club’s categorical rejection of Barca’s reported £30 million offer last week, that hope may not be as forlorn as the Spanish press would like us to believe. Fabregas has five years remaining on his contract with the Arse and the only reason we will sell is if our captain demands to move. After declaring that his recent meeting with the manager involved the ‘greatest conversation’ of his life, this seems unlikely.

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