Fran Mérida
Mérida warming up for Arsenal in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francisco Mérida Pérez | ||
| Date of birth | 4 March 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
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Current team
|
Osasuna | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2005 | Barcelona | ||
| 2005–2007 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2010 | Arsenal | 6 | (1) |
| 2008 | → Real Sociedad (loan) | 17 | (1) |
| 2010–2012 | Atlético Madrid | 20 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Braga (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Hércules | 18 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Atlético Paranaense | 6 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | Huesca | 58 | (8) |
| 2016– | Osasuna | 14 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2007 | Spain U17 | 17 | (5) |
| 2007–2009 | Spain U19 | 17 | (7) |
| 2009 | Spain U20 | 6 | (3) |
| 2008–2012 | Spain U21 | 16 | (6) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 April 2017. |
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Francisco "Fran" Mérida Pérez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾam ˈmeɾiða]; born 4 March 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for CA Osasuna as a central midfielder.
He signed at the age of 17 with Arsenal from Barcelona, but only appeared in 16 official games over the course of three seasons with the club. Subsequently he returned to his country with Atlético Madrid, where he also featured sparingly before leaving in 2012.
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Mérida joined the youth ranks of FC Barcelona at the age of eight, but left the club in September 2005, being reportedly hidden away by his agent, Joseba Díaz, which led to speculation that he would leave with no compensation for the team; his parents had become uneasy about all the young players joining Barcelona and felt that he would have a better chance elsewhere; therefore, they approached Díaz, also Cesc Fàbregas' agent, and he promptly alerted Real Madrid, A.C. Milan and Arsenal, with the player eventually signing for the latter.
On 9 October 2007 Mérida was ordered by the courts to pay a fee around €3.2 million to Barcelona, as compensation for his "failing to meet the terms of a personal pre-contract" with the club. The decision was said to have serious implications for clubs in England, where players were allowed to sign professional contracts at 17, one year earlier than in Spain; in response, a Madrid-based lawyer, Rodrigo García, was quoted as saying: "English teams will now think again before signing a young Spanish player ... It's an important ruling."
Mérida scored in his first-team debut for Arsenal in a friendly against Boreham Wood in August 2006. He signed professional terms with the Gunners after his 17th birthday.
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