Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has delivered a piece of reassuring news for Arsenal and their supporters, saying Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United are not interested in signing Gunners’ transfer target Mikel Merino. While Mikel Arteta’s side may not have to battle local clubs, they still have competition from other European powerhouses. According to Romano, La Liga pair Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on the 28-year-old central midfielder.
Over the last few days, some reports claimed Chelsea and Manchester United had joined Arsenal, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid in the pursuit of EURO 2024-winning midfielder Merino. Both the Blues and the Red Devils are heavy hitters, rarely shying away from splurging big to sign their man.
Their addition to this already hotly contested transfer race could complicate things for Arsenal, who are scouring the market for a worthy successor for the injury-prone Thomas Partey.
Fabrizio Romano Assures Chelsea & Manchester United Are Not Going After Arsenal Target
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano offered some respite, saying:
“Mikel Merino – Despite links with Chelsea and Manchester United, I’m only aware of Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid’s interest.
“Still, at the moment there has been no official bid to Real Sociedad yet, so let’s see how it goes in the next [few] days. Arsenal’s focus now is on completing the Riccardo Calafiori deal.”
The Italian journalist concluded by adding:
“But in my opinion, Merino would be an excellent signing; quality, consistency, good on [the] international stage, he’s a good opportunity on the market with just one year left on his deal.”
Merino has been at Real Sociedad since joining them from Newcastle United in July 2018. He has played 242 games for the La Liga outfit in all competitions, scoring 27 times and providing 30 assists. His contract with Sociedad runs out in June 2025.
In addition to have a solid resume in club soccer, Merino now also has a shiny European Championship in his trophy cabinet. Although he started only one game in EURO 2024, Merino featured in all seven, chipping in with the winning goal in Spain’s 2-1 victory over Germany in the quarter-finals.
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