Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed Arsenal will push to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino as soon as they seal the formal part of the Riccardo Calafiori deal. Romano also revealed the Gunners were already discussing the transfer with Merino’s entourage and would step up the club-side negotiations in the coming days.
Riccardo Calafiori To Arsenal Done and Dusted
After weeks of negotiations, Arsenal and Bologna have reached an agreement for the transfer of Calafiori. The Italian full-back has already had his medical for the Gunners and is set to link up with his new teammates in their pre-season tour.
Discussing the Calafiori deal in his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano revealed:
“It’s finally Riccardo Calafiori time for Arsenal – the player is in London, everything is okay between Arsenal and Bologna in terms of exchanging and sending all the documents, they are signing the contracts, and then Calafiori will have his medical in London.
“Calafiori will travel to the US to link up with Mikel Arteta’s squad and sign his contract until 2029, with no option for a further season beyond that. He’s set to earn €4m a season as a new Arsenal player, it’s all set to go through.”
On Sunday, July 28, Romano, pushed another update through his account on X (formerly Twitter), revealing:
“Medical done for Riccardo Calafiori who’s set to travel to USA from London together with his agents.
“Calafiori will sign a five-year deal as new Arsenal player in the US.”
Fabrizio Romano Says Mikel Merino Is The Gunners’ Next Target
With Calafiori’s arrival imminent, Arsenal are ready to focus on a midfield addition.
Explaining next steps, Romano revealed:
“After that [Calafiori’s deal], Arsenal will focus on Mikel Merino. Arsenal have been having conversations on the player side and they are prepared to attack the situation on the club side as well once they’ve completed the formal part of the Calafiori deal. There’s still no official bid from Arsenal to Real Sociedad, while we also know about interest from Spanish clubs Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
“Still, Arsenal are preparing their move, with Merino remaining high on the Gunners’ list as they prepare to focus on strengthening their midfield, though he’s not the only one being considered. Merino is one of the names they like, and then we’ll have to see how conversations with Real Sociedad will go.”
Merino has been at Sociedad since moving from Newcastle United in July 2018. He has appeared in 242 games for the club across competitions, recording 27 goals and 30 assists. As per Transfermarkt, Merino is worth €50 million ($54.15 million) and is in the final year of his contract at Sociedad.
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