Arsenal will ‘focus’ on signing ‘monster’ Granit Xhaka replacement after Riccardo Calafiori

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With Arsenal about to confirm the signing of Riccardo Calafiori, the North London club will now switch their attention to another target. 

Riccardo Calafiori is close to becoming an Arsenal player. 

Arsenal are on the verge of signing Calafiori, having agreed a fee with Bologna and personal terms with the player himself. 

Once the deal is officially confirmed it will bring to an end the transfer saga that has enveloped the club in recent weeks. Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu will then be free to focus more of their energies into chasing other deals. 

The Gunners are keen to strengthen in a number of key areas across the pitch this summer, not least in the middle of the park.

With Calafiori’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium now all but a done deal, Arsenal have turned their focus to securing the services of Mikel Merino.

• READ MORE: Every player linked to and from Arsenal in the summer 2024 transfer window

Arsenal make signing Mikel Merino top priority after Riccardo Calafiori deal

According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Arsenal will now “focus” of signing Merino, who is known to be available this summer, as Real Sociedad are wary of losing the 28-year-old on a free transfer in a year’s time. 

However, due to their pursuit of Calafiori, Arsenal have had to put their interest in the Spanish midfielder on the back burner until now.

It is easy to see why the Gunners are keen on the Euro 2024 winner. Arteta is even willing to abandon his youth-focused transfer policy in order to sign Merino this summer. 

Merino can be the new Granit Xhaka for Arsenal

The Real Sociedad man would be a brilliant fit in the middle of the park for the Gunners. Just as Granit Xhaka was able to in the last years of his Arsenal career, Merino can make an impact at both ends of the pitch. 

He is a composed passer of the ball, competes fiercely in duels, works incredibly hard off the ball, and has an eye for goal. Merino has even been described by analyst Ben Mattinson as an “aerial duel monster” in the past.

Like Xhaka, Merino is also left-footed, and is an ideal fit for the left-eight birth that the Swiss star shone in in his last campaign at the Emirates Stadium.