HERE WE GO: Arsenal have finally beaten Chelsea to the signing of £60m South American superstar, jersey number done as Medical set to hold tomorrow morning
HERE WE GO: Arsenal have finally beaten Chelsea to the signing of £60m South American superstar, jersey number done as Medical set to hold tomorrow morning
Arsenal, after easing past Wolves on the opening day, are now reportedly closing in on their latest summer signing to hand Mikel Arteta another boost.
Arsenal transfer news
It was business as usual at The Emirates on Saturday, with Arteta’s side opening the scoring through Kai Havertz before Saka sealed the points with an excellent effort. The Gunners are, of course, attempting to make it third time lucky in pursuit of dethroning Manchester City in the Premier League, having suffered heartbreak in the previous two campaigns.
Given how close they came in the last two seasons, Arsenal didn’t need much in terms of reinforcement this summer and have instead been looking to add quality rather than quantity – highlighted by Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival.
The Italian enjoyed a fantastic campaign at Bologna last time out, helping the Serie A side to shock Champions League qualification, but has since completed a move to North London to complete Arsenal’s backline.
If anyone could pick out a problem area, meanwhile, it would have been the fact that the Gunners don’t have adequate backup for Declan Rice amid Thomas Partey’s injury record. But that’s reportedly about to change
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are now close to signing Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, with a fee already agreed worth a reported £29.8m with the Spanish club. Romano recently told GiveMeSport: “We are at the final meters and final details of the Mikel Merino to Arsenal deal, with my sources indicating that it could be something like 24-48 hours before we can say ‘here we go’ – it’s really, really close. They’re almost there, working on the final steps, and then Merino will become a new Arsenal player.
“There is already an agreement on the final fee, and the clubs have been working in the last two or three weeks on the payment terms, the deal structure, the add-ons, and they are now getting closer on all the details of the deal.”
“Unique” Merino is ideal backup for Rice
A player who just won Euro 2024, Merino will now be after a Premier League title in a season that should see him provide Arteta with ideal backup for Rice and more. Described as someone who has a “unique profile” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Merino may even find himself used elsewhere in midfield, as Mattinson mentions.
What’s more, it’s worth noting that the 28-year-old should be in search of Premier League redemption following a spell at Newcastle United in 2017 that flattered to deceive. Seven years later, he will now seemingly get the chance to prove any doubters at St James’ Park wrong.
