Joe McConnell
Arsenal are in talks with Real Sociedad over the purchase of midfielder Mikel Merino.
There is still some work to be done on the deal, but the 28-year-old is believed to be interested in the move.
An agreement on personal terms is not expected to be a problem.
Merino has one year left on his contract with Sociedad.
He played all seven of Spain’s matches at the Euros, scoring the winning goal in the quarter-final against Germany.
What Merino could bring to Arsenal
Analysis from Vscek News senior football reporter Nick Wright:
Standing 1.98m tall, and in line with Arsenal’s trend towards physically imposing players following the arrivals of Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and, more recently, Riccardo Calafiori, Merino boasts formidable aerial power and a knack for stealing the ball.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany revealed him at the Euros when, after a trademark run into the penalty area, he powered home a powerful header from a Dani Olmo cross to secure Spain’s place in the semi-finals in the penultimate minute of extra time.
Merino, despite not being a regular starter for Luis de la Fuente’s team, would finish the tournament as one of only four players (along with Alvaro Morata, Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal) to have featured in all seven of Spain’s games as they won the trophy.
“I think that tournament reflected him well,” says Miguel Flaño, a former teammate at his childhood club, Osasuna. Vscek.
“He is used to starting matches and being very important for his club. But his role at the European Championship was different. Although he was not a starter, he showed a lot of humility, understanding that he could still be important in another way.
“And as we saw, he was decisive, especially with his goal against Germany, but also in the games where he didn’t score. He just puts the team first and thinks about how he can help.”
Merino’s rise, despite difficult spells with Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle, comes as no surprise to Flaño, or to anyone who knew him at Osasuna, where, having joined the team at 18, he was a key figure in their promotion to the Spanish top flight in 2016.
“He was the soul of the team, despite being very young,” says Alfredo Sanchez, former Osasuna player and assistant to Enrique Martin, the club’s coach at the time. Vscek.
“He had a tremendous personality and, in football terms, what you see of him now is what he was then. Very active on the left foot, adaptable to different situations, he can pass, he can beat a man, he is strong in the air and he knows when to get to the penalty area.”
“Mikel has always been a very complete player,” adds Flaño, another graduate of the club’s academy. “He’s very good technically and very intelligent tactically because he understands football very well.
“His aerial game is valuable in both defensive and offensive set pieces. He can really make the difference in those situations.
“And then, as far as mentality goes, he’s a guy who doesn’t feel pressure and has the personality to assert himself in important matches.”
