Failed Wonderkid #6- Fran Merida

Biodata

Full Name: Francisco Merida Perez

Nationality: Spanish

Date of Birth: 4 March 1990

Position: Central Midfielder

Current Club: Osasuna

Current Market Price: 1.50mil Euro (Updated on Dec 2019)

Highest Market Price: 5.00mil Euro (Sep 2006)

Former Clubs:

2007- 2010 Arsenal

2008 Real Sociedad (loan)

2010- 2012 Atletico Madrid

2011 Braga (loan)

2012- 2013 Hercules

2013- 2014 Atletico Paranaense

2015- 2016 Huesca

International Career:

None

Achievement:

Atletico Madrid

2010 UEFA Super Cup

Osasuna

2018- 2019 Segunda Division

Career

Kick start your footballing career in a relatively big club is a dream for every single youth player. This is mainly due to the fact that the facilities and the youth setup of a big club can boost up the ability of the young player. It also will add some degree of glamour on the young player too. However, is it the ultimate right decision for the young player to nurture his talent in the big club? The story of the main character of this article might give you some guideline that nurturing his talent in a big club doesn’t really mean that you have a bright career.

Fran Merida was born in Barcelona and joined the youth ranks of FC Barcelona at the age of eight. However, he left the club in September 2005 being reported that his parent had become uneasy about all young players joining Barcelona and felt that he would have a better chance elsewhere. However, he had angered Barcelona as Merida was ordered by courts to pay a fee as compensation. With the manipulation of Joseba Diaz, which is Fabregas’ agent at the time, Merida was subsequently signed for Arsenal. His career in Arsenal started very brightly, as Arsene Wenger described him as ‘an absolutely amazing player’ and expected to play a bigger role in the future.

On January 2009, Fran Merida was loaned out to Real Sociedad to help them to regain their La Liga status. Even though he scored his first senior goal and contributed 6 assists in 17 appearances, it is not enough for Real Sociedad to regain their La Liga status. Merida was then returned to the Emirates on the next season. He played sporadically in the strong Arsenal squad and made his Premier League debut in March 2009. It was the following campaign that Merida makes his mark in front of the Gunners’ supporters. He scored in the 2009-2010 EFL Cup against Liverpool from the edge of the area. However, things go sour since then.

Atletico Madrid president at the time, Enrique Cerezo showed his interest to bring Merida back to Spain. Arsenal confirmed that Merida had verbally agreed on a deal and accused Atletico of tapping up. He was transferred to Atletico Madrid on the next season. However, his performance in Colchoneros isn’t impressive enough to clinch himself a starting place on the pitch. Merida was then loaned out to Braga which he just had eight appearances before being recalled by Atletico. This was only the beginning of his disappointing career as he subsequently moved to Hercules, where his performance was also terrible in the new club.

In February 2013, Merida joined the Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense for one year. He was an unused substitute for the first half of the season and only made his debut on September. Even though he showed sign of regaining form, Merida was not convincing enough for the Brazilian team to extend his contract, he left the club in July. He remained as a free agent since then until Huesca signed him in January 2015. Merida helped Huesca to win Group B at the 2014-2015 campaign in Segunda Division B. On July 2016, Merida finally returned to the Spanish top level after joining Osasuna. However, it is still a far cry from his expected potential back in when he was just a teenager.

He is currently one of the main players in this inconsistent Osasuna side has the club had been a yo-yo club since he joined the club. Merida had recently just reached 100 appearances milestone with Osasuna and he will definitely hope that he can maintain his form and help this Pamplona side to regain their former glory and avoid their destiny to be a yo-yo club once more.

Verdict

Disappointment Rate: 7/10. It is a relatively decent career once Merida signed for Osasuna. However, it is still not the same player that breaks onto the scene when he scored that goal against Liverpool in the EFL Cup. Always been mentioned as the example that you are not destined to be a footballing star when you are graduated from the youth academy team of a big club.