Arsenal poised to sign ‘world-class’ £56m star by end of Thursday – report

Arsenal could finalise the signing of their top midfield target by the end of Thursday, according to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo.

The Gunners have been locked in negotiations with Real Sociedad for midfielder Mikel Merino, but they are yet to reach a final agreement.

Mikel Arteta’s side recently made an offer worth £30 million including add-ons, but the proposal was turned down by the La Liga outfit.

Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has since travelled to London to speed up talks. He is hopeful of securing at least £35m with a long-term payment plan.

Meanwhile, Merino missed today’s morning training session with Sociedad amid discussions.

It is claimed that an agreement is close and could be reached between today and tomorrow.

Arsenal could secure Merino’s signature this week

Merino has verbally agreed terms over a long-term contract with the Gunners and he was recently left out of Sociedad’s La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano.

Despite the green light, Arsenal have struggled to settle on a price with Sociedad, who are obviously determined to secure the highest transfer fee for Merino.

The 28-year-old, who has a £56m release clause in his contract, has been a pivotal figure in the centre of the park for the Basque outfit.

He recently scored a late winner against Germany in the Euro 2024 quarter-final.

His stock has definitely risen after his heroics for La Roja. The Gunners are now likely to pay a premium fee, considering his contract expires in June next year.

Merino, who has been described as ‘world-class‘ by Kieran Tierney, should be a handy signing for the Gunners nonetheless with his strong defensive attributes.

The Spaniard won the most number of duels in Europe’s top-five leagues last term and was also effective in the final third with 13 goal contributions for Sociedad.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com