Arsenal on the verge of marquee signing as club president spotted in London
Mikel Arteta's is close to getting his man after weeks of speculation.
Jack Kenmare
Arsenal are seemingly close to agreeing a deal for one of their top targets after Real Sociedad's president arrived in London for negotiations.
The Gunners have been relatively quiet in the summer transfer window thus far. Last month, they brought in Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna for a fee of up to £42 million plus add-ons.
They also completed the permanent signing of goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford on a long-term deal, with a fee of around £27 million being widely reported.
However, the priority for Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu has been to recruit another midfielder; a chase that has stalled in recent weeks.
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A number of players have been linked, including Martin Zubimendi, who impressed for Spain in their European Championship-winning campaign this summer.
But it appears Zubimendi's teammate Mikel Merino is close to making a switch to North London, with Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay confirming talks.
Speaking to radio station Onda Vasca last week, he said: "Merino was clear that he didn’t want to say he was renewing [his contract] and then leave. It wasn’t a surprise to us. Unfortunately, one of the teams we didn’t want to show up showed up.
"We will talk to Arsenal and defend the interests of La Real. When we consider that the offer is good, we will say yes."
After arranging a meeting with Arsenal chiefs in order to reach a definitive agreement for the transfer of Merino, Aperribay has flown from Loiu to London to close the sale, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The report suggests Real Sociedad's intention is to try to reach an agreement with Arsenal for around €40 million. An offer of around €25 million has already been rejected.
A host of players impressed for La Roja this summer, including central midfielder Merino, who featured in all seven of Spain's matches at Euro 2024.
The former Newcastle United man, who made 25 competitive appearances for the Magpies during a year-long spell, also netted a dramatic late winner in their quarter-final win over Germany.
Prior to this summer's tournament, Merino has been a regular fixture for La Liga side Real Sociedad.