EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal agree personal terms with Mikel Merino

Steve Kay

Updated: 26 Jul 2024 13:09 BST
3 min read

Arsenal have reached an agreement on personal terms with Mikel Merino, FootballTransfers understands.

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FootballTransfers exclusively revealed on Wednesday that the Gunners had moved into pole position to secure the signature of the Real Sociedad star.

Arsenal are keen to bolster their midfield options and have identified the 28-year-old as a top target. Talks have been ongoing behind the scenes and they have now yielded a satisfactory result.

We hear that Merino has given his green light to a move and agreed personal terms with Arsenal. This comes after we reported that talks were not expected to provide much of a challenge, with the Spain star keen on the move to the Emirates.

That said, Arsenal have yet to table a formal offer to Real Sociedad for the player, who is out of contract next summer and will not cost a fortune.

We understand that this won't change until the Gunners have managed to sell Emile Smith Rowe, who is closing in on a €40+ million move to Fulham.

Merino a bargain solution

Merino has become an attractive commodity on the market due to his contract situation.

With just a year left to run on his deal, several clubs have looked at the Spaniard as a potential option, though Arsenal have moved quickly to firm up their interest.

We previously explained that, although Barcelona and Chelsea are admirers, they have not held any substantial talks with the player or Real Sociedad.

Barcelona had no intention to make a move this summer, fully believing that the ex-Newcastle midfielder had his heart set on a move to the Emirates.

If everything proceeds smoothly, Merino could become Arsenal's second proper summer addition after Riccardo Calafiori (and the permanent signing of David Raya). Calafiori is expected to have the first part of his medical today in London before joining up with his new teammates in the US.