A Mikel Merino Arsenal transfer fee finally agreed with Real Sociedad seems to be in the pipeline, with the Spaniard likely to become the Gunners' second summer signing.
According to Marca journalist Oscar Badallo, who is a specialist when it comes to Real Sociedad, the two clubs have agreed a fee just under £30m for Merino, with only finer details such as payment structure needing to be worked out.
Arsenal have had full agreement with Merino's camp for some time now, with the 28-year-old eager to return to England after six years away.
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Why do Arsenal want Merino?
Despite an impressive 91 goals last season, for their highest ever Premier League tally, Arsenal's attack still has clear room for improvement.
The Gunners were extremely dependent on their right-sided trio of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Benjamin White to progress the ball, create chances and score, with their left side declining in terms of productivity relative to the season before.
A combination of injuries, chopping and changing players, loss of form and the departure of Granit Xhaka all contributed to Arsenal's imbalance. It is no coincidence that Merino and confirmed signing Riccardo Calafiori both play on the left of the pitch.
Merino will go some way to replacing Xhaka's 2022/23 role, providing intelligent through balls, over and underlapping runs, as well as solidity off the ball.
But the Spaniard is a different player. He is a more commanding physical presence than Xhaka, not only more mobile, but also taller at 6ft2in.
In fact, no midfielder in Europe won more aerial duels than Merino's six per game last season. No doubt this is greatly appealing to Mikel Arteta, who is well-known for his emphasis on winning such battles.
Despite his size, Merino is often at his best in tight spaces, with deceptive balance and agility. He often uses neat flicks and turns to evade pressure when deep, or combine with teammates in a flurry of passes.
He may not be a household name, but Merino is a very consistent and well-rounded midfielder, and he has ranked in the top ten of WhoScored's La Liga average player rating rankings every season since 2019/20.
Mikel Merino Arsenal transfer fee: is it a good deal?
In short, yes. Transfermarkt rate Merino's value at £42.5m, and the Gunners are set to seal the deal for just shy of £30m. Merino is in his prime years, and has an impeccable injury record. Arsenal have been able to leverage Merino's 2025 contract expiry to secure a lower fee.
Though he is older than many of Arsenal's other purchases in recent years, it is rare to be able to sign a player of Merino's calibre for such a low fee. The midfielder will be on relatively modest wages too, on the basis that he currently earns just £50,000 per week at Real Sociedad.
Crucially, Merino's signing does not close the door to Arsenal's latest midfield wonderkid, Ethan Nwaneri.
When will the deal happen?
Merino's transfer has been expected to happen for some time now. Arsenal and Real Sociedad share a positive relationship, having previously done deals for Kieran Tierney and Nacho Monreal.
All parties have been fairly relaxed about the move, but Badallo claims the move will be formally completed in the next few days, with Merino not in training for Real Sociedad this week.
