GOOD NEWS :Is Mikel Merino Arsenal’s perfect experienced midfield signing to replace Thomas Partey? | OneFootball Icon: Just Arsenal News Just Arsenal News

Mikel Merino.

The 28-year-old is now expected to leave the Spanish club this month with just one year remaining on his contract.

Real Sociedad want £27.5million.

Over the last five years the midfielder has only missed 13 games for his current club.

Is Mikel Merino Arsenal’s perfect experienced midfield signing to replace Thomas Partey?

Article image:Is Mikel Merino Arsenal’s perfect experienced midfield signing to replace Thomas Partey?

Arsenal’s need for a new CDM

If were being honest, Arsenal’s midfield is probably where we need to strengthen the most this summer transfer window. Our defence is looking solid and although we’re probably in need of another striker, we also have player who can come in and play up top whereas in midfield, we look a bit lost.

Thomas Partey is looking likely to leave this summer and i think that’s the right decision as he is too injury prone and inconsistent for what we need. Last season we played a lot of the season with Rice, Havertz, Odegaard and Jorginho in the midfield, but by the end of the season, Havertz stepped in for the injured Jesus and our midfield began to look a bit lost without a proper defensive midfielder and we began to look at lot more open in the middle.

One name that has just started to do the rounds is Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino. The 28-year-old currently plays at Real Sociedad and has been extremely consistent for the Spanish side and his national side. Mikel Arteta is said to be a big fan of Merino and when you look at the type of player we should be looking for, Merino makes a lot of sense.

He may be a little older than most fans would want but he would bring a lot of experience and leadership to a role that’s not easy to play. He already has a relationship with Martin Odegaard because of when he went on loan to Real Sociedad, which could make the transition easier for the player to get settled and I think he would be a perfect partner for Declan Rice who is missing someone a bit deeper than him to bounce off.

There’s going to be competition for his signature as apparently Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are both interested in the midfielder, but is Merino is looking for a new challenge in a new league, Arsenal could be the perfect club for him. It’s being reported that Real Sociedad is looking for around €30 Million for him, which is a very good deal as he had a release clause almost double of that and Arsenal could probably bring the price down to €25 Million.

The player is currently away with Spain at the Euro’s where he will face off against England in the final and has had a very good tournament so far, scoring the winner against Germany to send Spain through to the semi-finals and has made Spain’s midfielder look solid.

For me, Merino would be a stop gap signing to someone younger, maybe a player who could come in and teach a younger academy player, I don’t think we sign him for a long time solution, but, he feels like he could be the perfect stop gap signing. With interested clearly being shown, do you think he could be the right guy for the job at Arsenal?