Arsenal could finally make progress on the £30million Mikel Merino transfer deal this week, according to Charles Watts as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column.
Watts says it looks like Arsenal will be getting a good deal bringing Merino in for just £30m, with the Gunners expert describing the Spain international as an ‘excellent’ player, while it’s also a good sale for Real Sociedad as he has just a year left on his contract.
Mikel Arteta already has plenty of options in midfield, and it looks like Merino’s arrival could shake things up a bit, with less playing time for Thomas Partey, while Declan Rice could move into a more defensive role than the one he played for much of last season.
Rice is capable of playing well in a variety of roles, but he could be an important upgrade on Partey in that number 6 position, with the Ghana international proving quite injury prone in recent times and also occasionally suffering some lapses of concentration.
Merino transfer update from Arsenal expert Charles Watts
“This could be the week that the Mikel Merino deal finally takes a big step forward. I’ve been on holiday for the past fortnight and when I went away my information was the deal was on, but there was still plenty of negotiating left to do to sort out all the final details and how it would be structured. Now I’m back, the story isn’t that much different,” Watts said.
“It’s always just been about the two clubs agreeing on a deal that works for the pair of them. Sociedad are obviously losing a major player in Merino and although there has always been an acceptance at the club that he would be allowed to go this summer due to his contract status, they were never just going to give him away.
“His performances for Spain at the Euros also strengthened their position a bit so they have been holding out to get a fee and a deal structure that works for them and that has obviously seen things drag on a bit longer than Arsenal and certainly Mikel Arteta would have wanted.
“There’s no doubt Arteta would have liked to have Merino on board earlier than this, but he has had to remain patient while discussions between the clubs have remained ongoing. But the deal now looks close and I expect things to move forward this week ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.
