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Arsenal advancing in £25.3m transfer talks as verbal agreement 'getting closer'

:Headline: Arsenal advancing in £25.3m transfer talks as verbal agreement 'getting closer':
Arsenal are reportedly edging closer to a €30m (£25.3m) deal to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino as they move toward reaching a verbal agreement.
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Arsenal are reportedly making strong progress in their efforts to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino and have nearly reached a verbal agreement with their Spanish counterparts.

Despite splashing out a club-record £105m on Declan Rice in 2023, Mikel Arteta has made it his mission to strengthen Arsenal's midfield ranks further ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

A new number six was initially thought to be on the Spaniard's agenda, and Merino's teammate Martin Zubimendi was a prime target amid rumours that his contract included a £51m release clause.

However, Zubimendi quickly quashed talk of an exit from Sociedad, while links with Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes led nowhere, and Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz joined Aston Villa and Juventus respectively.

With Arsenal being repeatedly knocked back in their attempts to add to their defensive midfield ranks, the Gunners have now turned their attention to signing Merino, more of a box-to-box lynchpin than a holding enforcer.

Arsenal 'getting closer' to Merino agreement

The former Newcastle man has now entered the last 12 months of his contract with Sociedad, who are therefore expected to be receptive to bids this summer, and according to Fabrizio Romano, a transfer is now progressing nicely.

Romano states that the two sides are now advancing in talks over a deal that would see Merino join Arsenal for a fee in excess of €30m (£25.3m), and a verbal agreement is not too far away.

The Spain international - who was part of La Roja's Euro 2024-winning squad - is already said to have given the green light to the Gunners' contract proposal, as he is keen to make the switch to the Emirates.

Merino previously dabbled in Premier League football with Newcastle during the 2017-18 season, joining the Magpies on loan from Borussia Dortmund and joining permanently at the end of the campaign.

However, the Spaniard's £5.9m St James' Park transfer came just a few days before he was sold to Sociedad, where he has contributed 27 goals and 30 assists from 242 matches across all competitons.

Where could Merino fit in at Arsenal?

While Merino is not a total stranger to playing as a defensive midfielder, and has even been deployed as a centre-back on a handful of occasions, he is far more comfortable as a more advanced midfielder.

The 28-year-old should be employed in such a role in Arteta's 4-3-3, likely on the left-hand side of the midfield trident, a role where £105m man Rice excelled in the 2023-24 campaign.

As Rice helped out in attack more often, Jorginho and Thomas Partey would share the defensive midfield burden, but the former West Ham United captain will likely revert to his previous number six slot if Merino joins.

Jorginho and Partey would therefore play backup to the England international, although the latter could still leave before the summer transfer deadline, as his contract runs out in 2025 too.

Arsenal have already seen Mohamed Elneny leave as a free agent, while Albert Sambi Lokonga has joined Sevilla on loan and Emile Smith Rowe is on the cusp of a £34m switch to Fulham. body check tags ::

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool20145148202847
2Arsenal21127241192243
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest21125430201041
4Newcastle UnitedNewcastle21115537221538
5Chelsea21107441261537
6Manchester CityMan City2110563829935
7Aston Villa2110563132-135
8Bournemouth219753225734
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2171043229331
10Fulham217953230230
11Brentford218494037328
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd217592629-326
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham217592741-1426
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs21731143321124
15Crystal Palace215972328-524
16Everton203891526-1117
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2144133148-1716
18Ipswich TownIpswich2137112037-1716
19Leicester CityLeicester2135132346-2314
20Southampton2113171347-346
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