In a recent edition of the Daily Briefing, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Arsenal are confident about signing Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino. It has been stated that the Gunners are hoping to get a deal done for the Spain international over the next few days.
Merino’s Decent Run Of Form In Spanish Football
Merino had an impressive campaign at the Spanish club recently as he was responsible for putting in a series of decent displays for them at the centre of the park. The 28-year-old scored eight times and earned five assists in 45 matches for Real Sociedad last season across all fronts.
The Pamplona-born talent proved his worth in the middle of the field by averaging 2.4 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 1.7 clearances, 0.9 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even distributed the ball relatively well based on his pass success rate of 77.5% in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Spanish club will run out at the end of next season which could give Arsenal a chance to sign him on the cheap this off-season.
What Will Merino Bring To Arsenal?
Merino is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his challenges well to make the odd interception for his team at the centre of the park. He usually clears the danger when needed and can contribute by scoring and creating a handful of important goals in the final third.
The Spanish talent is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also serve as a defensive midfielder if asked to do so. We can expect him to bring more quality and depth to Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s midfield department.
At 28, Merino is playing in his prime and has got the winning mindset to be a success story at the Emirates Stadium in the short-term. Therefore, Arteta would be wise to go all out to lure the Spaniard to the North London club before the end of this summer transfer window. However, there are some serious concerns over whether he can cope with the physical style and high intensity of Premier League football if Arsenal manage to snap him up this off-season.
