Arsenal has been dealt a blow ahead of their upcoming clash with Brighton as new signing, Mikel Merino, has been ruled out after sustaining a shoulder injury during his first training session, while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has completed a permanent transfer to Southampton.
Merino, who suffered a small fracture, is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, adding to Mikel Arteta’s growing list of injury concerns. With Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu already unavailable, this latest setback is a major concern for the Gunners.
“It’s very unfortunate,” Arteta said in a statement titled ‘Merino to Miss Brighton Game Through Injury’.
“Yesterday he had a collision and got a shoulder injury. He’s going to be out for a few weeks. It’s really bad luck, and we were all very excited. He was looking very good, he landed on the floor, Gabi went on top of him, and it looks like he’s got a small fracture. He was in so much pain, so we have to wait and see with the staff to do some more tests for conclusive answers.”
Arteta also provided updates on Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who are recovering from groin and knee injuries, respectively, but confirmed they are not in contention for Saturday’s game.
“[Gabriel] is progressing really well,” he said. “[With Tomi] at the moment, it is difficult to say. The first phase of that injury is progressing a bit slowly. It’s probably best for the medical team to provide more information. He hasn’t started training yet.”
In a separate development, Ramsdale’s transfer to Southampton was officially announced. Ramsdale, who joined Arsenal in 2021, made 89 appearances and was a standout performer during his time with the club.
His departure marks the end of a successful stint with the Gunners, where he played a crucial role in Arsenal’s 2023 FA Community Shield victory and earned a spot in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2022/23 season.
In the statement titled ‘Aaron Ramsdale Has Joined Southampton in a Permanent Transfer’, Sporting Director Edu Gaspar expressed his gratitude for Ramsdale’s contributions.
“We are pleased to have reached a very positive transfer agreement with Southampton, and Aaron leaves us with our best wishes. We thank Aaron for his performances for the club since joining us three years ago, and we wish him and his family well in their new chapter,” Edu said.
Ramsdale, a regular for England at youth levels, also made his full England debut in November 2021 and was part of the squads that reached the Euro 2020 and 2024 finals, as well as the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup.