Arsenal has reached a preliminary agreement to bring Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino to their squad from Real Sociedad in a deal valued at up to £32.6 million. The 28-year-old, who has less than a year left on his contract with the La Liga team, will join Arsenal for an initial £28.4 million, with an additional £4.2 million in potential add-ons.
Merino, who played a crucial role in Spain's Euro 2024 victory, appeared in all seven of the tournament's matches, including scoring a decisive late goal against Germany in the quarter-finals.
His move to Arsenal would mark the club's third signing of the transfer window, following the acquisitions of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spanish goalkeeper David Raya. Raya's transfer became permanent after Arsenal activated their option to buy him from Brentford.
Known for his ability to play as a deep-lying midfielder, Merino is expected to complement Declan Rice, who took on a more dynamic, box-to-box role last season. Merino's addition will give Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta another strong option in midfield, where he will compete with the likes of Rice, Jorginho, Thomas Partey, and Martin Odegaard.
Merino is no stranger to the Premier League, having previously spent a season at Newcastle United before moving to Real Sociedad in 2018. During the 2019-20 season, he played alongside Odegaard, who was on loan from Real Madrid at the time. With 28 caps for Spain, Merino made 45 appearances across all competitions last season, finding the back of the net eight times.
