Arsenal finally make Mikel Merino transfer breakthrough before Aston Villa

Arsenal have reached an agreement with Real Sociedad to sign 28-year-old midfielder Mikel Merino. The Spain international is set to become the second major incoming of the summer for the Gunners.

Merino will cost Mikel Arteta’s side around £28million plus £3.5million in add-ons, David Ornstein reports. The Euro 2024 winner will pen a four-year contract with an option for an extra 12 months.

So far this window Arsenal have only added Riccardo Calafiori to their senior side, with David Raya seeing his loan from Brentford become permanent as expected. Merino will bolster Arterta’s options centrally after Emile Smith Rowe was sold to Fulham.

Arsenal have previously been in the mix for Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as other midfielders, even after signing Declan Rice next summer. Merino emerged as a clear favourite earlier this year though with all parties working towards an agreement for some time.

The former Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund man is currently tied down until next summer at La Real but has been waiting for much of the summer to move to the Emirates Stadium. He was left out of the club’s opening La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano.

Arsenal will now be hopeful of completing the formalities for Merino sooner rather than later as they prepare to take on Aston Villa on Saturday.

Arteta’s side got off their own domestic campaign with a win, beating Wolves 2-0 in north London. The head coach went with Rice partnered by Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard on that occasion but will be granted more flexibility from Merino if he is to join.

Arsenal started last season with Kai Havertz in the left-sided No.8 role but turned to the German more regularly up front after the turn of the year. Merino is a more natural fit for the role, although he has rarely been used deeper or in a double-pivot recently.

Merino played 45 times for La Real in 2023/24, scoring eight goals in all competitions, assisting five. He bagged the crucial winner against Germany at the European Championship with a late extra-time header.