As per David Ornstein of The Athletic, Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle to sign Mikel Merino for an initial €33.5million from Real Sociedad,
The agreement could also see The Gunners pay a further €5m in variable add-ons for the midfielder, who is expected to sign onto a four-year deal with the option of a further year.
If completed, the deal will bring to an end Arsenal’s long pursuit of Merino over the summer, who have been waiting to strike the right price with La Real, with the player’s current contract set to expire next June.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United man will likely play on the left of Mikel Arteta’s midfield three, in what will be a similar box-to-box role to that of his under Imanol Alguacil, where his technical and physical abilities have been able to thrive, both in and out-of-possession
Merino is very well-rounded; he’s good at using his 6’2” frame to draw fouls or round his opponent, capable of punching a disguised pass forwards with his strong left-foot, and is exceptional in duels – shown as he won more duels (ground and aerial) than any other midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues last season, as per Opta data.
That lends to the 28-year-old’s dominance in the air, which sees him frequently pose a threat from set-pieces and when making late runs into the box. Highlighting this, three of his seven goals in all competitions last season were headers, whilst he also nodded home Spain’s 119th minute winner against Germany in the Euro 2024 semi-final earlier this summer.
As such, Merino will be an excellent addition to Arteta’s side in what is set to be their third official summer signing, alongside the permanent arrival of last season’s loanee David Raya from Brentford, and Italian left-sided defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna.
Ahead of what is expected to be a third successive title challenge, The North London club kicked off their season with a 2-0 home win over Wolves last weekend, and will now face a tough test this Saturday 23 August away at Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Travis Levison | Get Football
