Arsenal are hot on the trail of a £26 million player – alongside Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino – and have reportedly already agreed personal terms, but his club are determined to halt a move.
Arsenal on the verge of signing Merino from Sociedad
Following weeks of transfer talks, it appears an Arsenal deal for Merino looks set to be completed pretty soon.
£20m ace looks like he could never play for Arsenal again after Wolves
He left out of the squad as Arsenal defeated Wolves on Saturday afternoon.
ByMatt DawsonAug 18, 2024
The 28-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract and is fresh off the back of an impressive Euro 2024 campaign with Spain, making him a potential summer bargain, especially considering his brilliant 2023/2024 season at Sociedad.
Merino scored eight goals and assisted five others across 45 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga side, and it is believed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta holds a personal belief that the former Newcastle star can help Arsenal dominate opposition midfields (Simon Collings).
Arsenal reached an agreement on personal terms with Merino some time ago, with the north Londoners now close to shaking hands on a final fee and details with Sociedad, as Edu Gaspar and co look to seal their third major signing of the window.
Mikel Merino
Declan Rice
Percentage of aerial duels won
59.9
55.6
Ball recoveries
7.93
7.49
Shot-creating actions
2.59
1.95
Tackles
2.56
2.42
Blocks
1.52
1.22
Key passes
1.01
0.72
Statistics correct as of 21/08/2024
Edu may not be done with Merino, either, as links surround Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia. The Spaniard, whose contract includes a £26 million release clause, is reportedly being targeted as a potential heir for exit-bound Aaron Ramsdale.
Fabrizio Romano even shared news earlier this week that Garcia and Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement on personal terms, so the interest in him is clearly there heading towards deadline day.
Espanyol in constant contact with Garcia to stop him joining Arsenal
News of this has reached Spain, with newspaper AS providing an update on the 23-year-old's future.
They write that Espanyol are in constant contact with Garcia to stop him from joining Arsenal, consistently reassuring the Olympian that he's crucial for the newly-promoted La Liga side this season, and they really don't want to lose him.
While Espanyol are believed to be calm over the interest from north London, it would be very difficult to find a replacement for Garcia this late in the window, so they're keen to make sure his move to the Premier League does not happen.
Garcia conceded just 10 goals across 21 appearances in all competitions last season, keeping 12 clean sheets in the process.