Transfer News: Arsenal Set to Sign Mikel Merino After Agreeing Terms With Real Sociedad

The Gunners are on the verge of signing their primary midfield target of the transfer window for a reported fee of approximately 33.5-million euros and a further 5-million euros in performance-related bonuses.

Arsenal and Real Sociedad were engaged in transfer talks for the last couple of weeks. However, talks of a potential transfer stalled, as Sociedad’s hierarchy insisted that the Gunners would have to match their asking price. According to some reports, Real Sociedad’s president, Jokin Aperribay,  arrived in London to hold face-to-face talks with Edu. Finally, after 24 hours of intense negotiations the two parties finally arrived at an agreement.  

With just a year left on his contract with the Basque side, Real Sociedad’s only option was to sell Merino. They tried to offer him a new contract, but Merino’s heart was set on leaving, as he wanted a new challenge. As a result, the 28-year-old Spaniard missed Real Sociedad’s La Liga opener, which they lost by a scoreline of 2-1 at the hands of Rayo Vallecano. In an interview, Sociedad’s President Jokin Aperribay revealed that Merino had made up his mind to leave. He said, “Merino was clear that he didn’t want to say he was renewing and then leave. It wasn’t a surprise to us,” said Aperribay. “Unfortunately, one of the teams we didn’t want to show up showed up.” However, Merino leaves the Basque-based club on a positive note, as Sociedad manager Inamol thanked him for his service during a recent press conference. He said, “Let me say thanks to Merino. He’s been fantastic and I’m proud to see him now making this step”. 

Mikel Merino is expected to sign a four-year contract with the Gunners. He was one of Arteta’s top targets this summer, as players of his caliber are hard to come by. Merino comes into the squad with great pedigree, as he played in every match during Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign. He even scored the winning goal against Germany in the quarterfinal. Furthermore, Merino has Premier League experience, as he played for Newcastle United under Rafa Benitez during the 2017/18 season. The 28-year-old Spaniard is a versatile player, who can play as a No.6 and No.8. As a result, he would have to compete with the likes of Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Declan Rice for a place in Arsenal’s starting XI. However, with plenty of football this season, Merino will surely get plenty of opportunities.  

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