Barcelona 'scared' of Arsenal hijack of top transfer target

23 Jun 2024 14:00 BST
3 min read

Barcelona are said to be ‘scared’ of Arsenal’s potential ability to hijack a transfer for their top midfield target, according to reports in Spain.

Arsenal are thought to be in the market for a midfielder this summer to partner Declan Rice, with Thomas Partey likely to be sold and Mikel Arteta still seeking a long-term successor to Jorginho.

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Amadou Onana is among the players that Arsenal have considered, however Everton’s reported asking price of more than €50 million has stalled any talk of a deal being struck.

It has been a similar situation for Barcelona, who also had Onana on their shortlist, however Hansi Flick’s side have switched their attention to Mikel Merino, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The 28-year-old has been a standout midfielder in La Liga since joining from Newcastle in 2018 and could be available for a cut-price deal due to his contract ending in 12 months time.

The report states that Barcelona are calm over speculation linking Merino to Atletico, however they see Arsenal as ‘the only danger’ in the fight to sign the Spanish international.

© IMAGO - Mikel Merino is one of La Liga's standout midfielders.

Could Arsenal sign Mikel Merino?

Merino will certainly be a player familiar to Arteta, given the Arsenal manager’s history with Sociedad, having also had a long-term admiration for La Real star Martin Zubimendi.

Zubimendi’s asking price has proven a stumbling block to both Arsenal and Barca, with both teams holding an interest in the 25-year-old, however Merino’s availability could see the attention pivot to him.

Arsenal have yet to formally declare an interest in Merino but his price point and availability, combined with his pedigree and experience in the Premier League, would make him an intruging signing for Arteta.

Having come through the Osasuna academy, Merino had spells at Dortmund and Newcastle before his switch to Sociedad, where he has gone onto make more than 200 appearances for the club.