TRANSFER NEWS: MIKEL MERINO FINALLY MOVE TO ARSENAL.
Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino is reportedly on his way to London to finalize the deal of €33.5 million transfer with arsenal, with an extra €5 million in performance-related bonuses.
Arsenal have managed to agree to a deal in principle with Real Sociedad for the transfer of Mikel Merino. The deal is now close to being finalized, while the player will pen a four-year deal with an option for a fifth year once he completes his medical examinations. At the end, the 28-year-old midfielder could cost Arsenal up to €38.5 million if all conditions are met.
Mikel Merino started his football career at Osasuna before making a move to Borussia Dortmund and later to Newcastle United. In 2018, he transferred to Real Sociedad, where he turned into an integral part. Through six seasons, Mikel Merino turned out 242 times for Sociedad, notching 27 goals and making 30 more. Such was his form, and now he has been capped 28 times by Spain while starting in their squad that won Euro 2024.
TRENDING: WE CAN ONLY MAKE MORE DIFFERENCE IF WE CAN WIN THIS CUP
Mikel Arteta is trying to strengthen his midfield options, even more so considering that Granit Xhaka has left the club. Merino is a versatile player and fits perfectly, probably to hold the gap on the left side of midfield—a position haunting the Gunners. Kai Havertz was laboring to fit into that role, while Declan Rice has been used as more of a box-to-box midfielder. Signing Mikel Merino, hence, would provide much-needed stability.
The experience and ground-covering ability that Merino would bring to the table is exactly what Arsenal needs. He is known to receive the ball in tight situations, and his partnership with Martin Odegaard from their time together at Sociedad was really good. So many Arsenal fans are pinning their hopes on Mikel Merino and Odegaard turning it on once again at the Emirates.
If the deal is to happen, then Mikel Merino will become Arsenal’s third signing this summer, joining goalkeeper David Raya and defender Riccardo Calafiori. It may well mean that in the next game against Aston Villa, Merino will have his chance to debut and will partly solve some of the problems of Arsenal’s midfield.
