Arsenal are looking to strengthen their midfield in the summer transfer window as they join Aston Villa in the race for Real Sociedad maestro Mikel Merino.
Arteta’s New Weapon? Merino’s box-to-box skills intrigue Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is looking to increase depth and technical presence at the heart of the park this off-season, and with Gunners premier target Martín Zubimendi set to stay at Sociedad, they have moved on to his teammate, who has enjoyed an equal number of successful outings at Reale Arena. He has scored eight goals and provided five assists in the recently concluded campaign for Sociedad.
With the Gunners looking to add a technical option to support, Merino fits the profile Arteta wants in his midfielders. The Spaniard is a goal-scoring midfielder who loves making runs into the opposition box. He averages 2.89 touches in the opposition box, placing him in the 93rd percentile compared to other midfielders in the big five leagues. Merino’s runs would complement Martin Odegaard’s style of play, with the captain being more of a playmaker.
Merino on the move? Arsenal eye “Contract of a lifetime”
With just a year left on Merino’s contract, the Gunners are exploring possibilities to land his signature this summer. They are willing to offer a fee in the region of £20 million, although any probable deal is a long way from being completed, with Real Sociedad demanding at least £30 million for the services of one of their star players.
In a bid to persuade the 28-year-old, the Gunners are willing to offer a ‘contract of a lifetime’ as Arsenal take up the favourite spot to land his signatures this summer.
Mikel Merino comes with a European Championship on the back of his probable transfer, and he has been nothing short of impressive in the competition in Germany this summer.
For Arsenal, it would be a huge coup to land his signatures, as they would get a mobile player with technical elegance in the midfield, which can help us unlock games against the most rigid of midblocks, something that we are expected to face going into the new Premier League season.
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