Report: Mikel Merino Set To Travel To London For Friday Medical

By The Editor
on 23rd August 2024

Mikel Merino deal inches closer…

Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino is reportedly expected to travel to London on Friday to complete a medical after Arsenal and the La Liga club agreed a fee for the 28-year-old’s services.

El plan es que Mikel Merino viaje mañana a Londres.

— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) August 22, 2024

The Merino deal threatened to drag into the ‘saga’ territory as Arsenal and Sociedad struggled to come to an agreement on the former Osasuna man’s valuation.

It was reported by Fabrizio Romano on July 31st that the two clubs were close to a resolution; that outcome required a further three weeks to come to fruition.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal will part with an initial €33 million with a further €5 million in performance-related add-ons. Merino’s arrival will likely see Kai Havertz become a permanent fixture as a central striker with the former comfortable in a left-8 role.

Merino’s adaptation period may be shorter than others due to a number of factors. The Spanish international spent a season on loan at Newcastle United in 2017/18 and thus has Premier League experience.

Also, during his period in San Sebastian, Merino played alongside a certain Martin Odegaard during the 2019/20 season and will be reunited with the skipper in the heart of Mikel Arteta’s midfield.

While Merino will not be signed in time for Saturday’s clash against Aston Villa, one wonders how quickly he can get up to speed given that his last minutes on a football pitch came in the European Championships final.