BREAKING: Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are willing to pay more than £25M to sign ‘duel monster’- Contacts already made as the club is waiting for the player’s “YES”

BREAKING: Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are willing to pay more than £25M to sign ‘duel monster’- Contacts already made as the club is waiting for the player’s “YES”

ARSENAL WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY £25M TO SIGN REAL SOCIEDAD MIDFIELDER

ARSENAL WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY £25M TO SIGN REAL SOCIEDAD MIDFIELDER MIKEL MERINO

Arsenal are searching for a new midfielder during the ongoing transfer window

and they have reportedly identified their number one target.

According to Mundo Deportivo (page 4), the club are very interested in signing Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino and would be willing to pay £25 million without any deadlines.

Barcelona and an unknown Bundesliga club are also keen on landing the 28-year-old, who is expected to make a decision soon, having entered the final year of his Sociedad contract.

Merino has not ruled out a move to England but he has yet to give a ‘definitive yes’.

GUNNERS KEEN ON SIGNING MERINO AHEAD OF BARCELONA
Merino has been with Sociedad for the last six seasons, but he appears open to a new challenge.

A move to the Premier League could be an enticing prospect for him. The Spaniard spent a solitary season with Newcastle United in 2017/18 where he barely made an impression.

His reputation has been enhanced during his time in San Sebastian. Merino can operate in the central and defensive midfield roles, but he is most comfortable from the number eight role.

In the recent campaign, the 28-year-old netted eight goals and provided five assists. He was exceptional defensively too with 10.2 duels, 6.4 recoveries and almost two tackles per game.

Merino possesses a high work rate too and would perfectly suit manager Mikel Arteta’s playing style.

Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney described Merino as a ‘world-class‘ player. In our view, he would be a solid addition to the squad and would provide more quality and experience.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com