Arsenal appear to be getting themselves a genuine all-rounder.
A player who can do it all. Score goals? Check.
The man right at the top of Mikel Arteta’s midfield wishlist ended last season with a career-best tally of eight, while firing Spain into the semi-finals of the European Championships thanks to a crashing extra-time header against Germany.
Mikel Merino is a creator of chances too. In the 2022/23 La Liga season, only an Antoine Griezmann at the peak of his playmaking powers mustered more than Merino’s nine assists.
For Arsenal legend Martin Keown, there is another statistic which stands out too.
One which really highlights the extent of Merino’s skillset, with Arsenal seemingly on the verge of landing a box-crashing finisher, a creator and a destroyer all in one for just over £32 million.
Arsenal set to sign Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad
Merino, per Opta, won more duels than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues last season.
If Arsenal are planning on bringing in the Real Sociedad ace to act as the second coming of Granit Xhaka in that left-sided number eight role, these highly-impressive numbers – both from an attacking and a defensive standpoint – suggest that the Premier League challengers might just have landed a gem.
“He looks a very good one,” Keown, a three-time top-flight champion under Arsene Wenger, tells talkSPORT (23 August, 11am). “He gives you that extra strength in the duels. He’s 6ft 2ins, he’s technically very gifted.
“Statistics (show) that he was involved in more duels than any other player, and he won 50 per cent of them. He is a ball winner.
“He gives them options.”
HITC understands that Merino should now undergo a medical over the weekend, although Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa is likely to come too soon for him to make his debut.
Once of Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund – he spent the 2017/18 season on Tyneside under Rafa Benitez – Real Sociedad threatened to walk away from discussions a few days ago with Arsenal still falling short of their asking price.
The two clubs have finally compromised, however, on a fee of £32.6 million.
Euro 2024 winner joins Riccardo Calafiori at the Emirates
Merino’s exit looked inevitable once La Real left him out of their squad for last week’s La Liga opener with Rayo Vallecano. A game which Imanol Alguacil’s side lost 2-1 at home, albeit with Martin Zubimendi putting that Liverpool drama behind him with a late consolation.
“The decision was made that Mikel would not be called up because he wants to leave,” Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay told Cadena Cope, admitting that Merino had his heart set on a move to the Premier League.
Perhaps the Euro 2024 champion feels he has unfinished business with his time at Newcastle ending after only a year.
“When we had meetings to renew Mikel’s contract, he told us that he feels very much a Real Madrid fan,” Aperribay added. “But that, if a Premier League team came – and he named two or three – he wanted to fulfil his dream of returning and achieving success.”
Merino, who has been labelled a ‘world-class’ talent by future Arsenal and former La Real team-mate Kieran Tierney, will become The Gunners second big-name summer signing after £33 million defender Riccardo Calafiori.
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