Arsenal’s pursuit of one transfer target has hit a speed bump due internal wrangling at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have already secured the signing of Riccardo Calafiori this summer, but there is still more business to be done for the North London club.
Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his squad in a number of areas. For instance, the Gunners need to bolster their attacking contingent.
Arsenal are pushing to sign Viktor Gyokeres. The Sporting star was in prolific form last season, and would represent an exciting arrival at the Emirates Stadium.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans are unconvinced by the links with Julian Alvarez. It seems unlikely that Manchester City would allow him to leave and strengthen Arteta’s side, who are likely to be their main title rivals this season.
On top of that, the Gunners also need to strengthen in the middle of the park. Arteta wants Mikel Merino for this vacancy, and the club have been heavily linked with the Real Sociedad man.
Merino is available for £25 million this summer, as the La Liga outfit are reluctant to lose the 28-year-old on a free transfer next year, when his current contract expires. As the Euro 2024 winner has made it clear that he has no intention of penning a new deal with his current club, Sociedad have made the Spain international available now for a cut price fee.
Arsenal face complications with Mikel Merino transfer
However, striking a deal to sign Merino is not as straightforward as it may initially seem.
As reported by Football.London, Arsenal now face a “complex” process when it comes to getting this deal done, and the fact that figures within the club’s hierarchy have “reservations” about Merino is slowing things down.
Most of these concerns are due to the player’s age. Arsenal generally prefer to buy younger players in the transfer window, whilst the 28-cap Spain international is now in the prime years of his career.
Arteta is willing to disregard Merino’s age in order to get this deal done, but may need to persuade others within the club’s setup that that is a course of action worth taking.
Why Mikel Arteta wants Merino
Merino has many attributes that make him perfect for Arsenal. He is a physical midfielder, able to dominate his duels, get up and down the pitch all game, and make an impact in the final third.
The Spaniard would be the ideal cover and partner for Declan Rice. On top of that, he also boasts previous Premier League experience, which Arteta often covets in his targets, from a past loan stint with Newcastle United.
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