Arsenal may have to see off Chelsea if they want to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, according to journalist Roberto Gomez.
Speaking to Radio Marca, Gomez said that the Blues are the team who appear keenest on securing the Spanish international’s signature.
“Mikel Merino is about to leave for the Premier League. It seems that Chelsea is the team that is very interested. My information is that he is leaving.”
With Merino having less than a year left on his contract at Real Sociedad, the general consensus is that he will be on the move this summer but he may cost around €30m (£25m).
There could be 4 teams involved in the battle for Merino
In addition to the two London clubs, reports in the Spanish media have suggested that both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are interested in the 28-year-old.
However, it is believed that Arsenal have already put in the groundwork to get this deal over the line, with the Gunners said to have made several phone calls to convince the former Newcastle player to make the switch to the Emirates.
Why are Arsenal so keen on signing the midfielder?
Manager Mikel Arteta was born in San Sebastian and he played briefly for his hometown club Real Sociedad before joining Everton in 2005. It is believed that he does keep a close eye on his former team.
Merino’s teammate Martin Zubimendi is a player that Arteta has wanted to sign for the last couple of years but the cost of the deal has made a transfer difficult. The 25-year-old has a €60m (£50.5m) release clause in his contract.
In contrast, Merino is available for half that amount, making him an attainable target. We shall have to wait and see whether Arteta gets his man.
