In Spain’s Quarter-Final victory over Germany at the EURO’s, Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino became the latest name to join the list of international heroes with his last minute extra-time goal sending his country into the Semi-Finals. Spain have since gone on to beat France in that round of the competition and a final against either England or the Netherlands await them.
However, many of you would be forgiven for forgetting that Merino was in fact a Premier League star for Newcastle United just a few years ago. The Spanish midfielder made just 25 appearances for the Magpies before securing a £12million move to Real Sociedad, where his career has truly kicked on.
Since that move in 2019, Merino has racked up 242 senior appearances for the Spanish side and has become a regular fixture in Spain’s national setup, with 27 caps so far. The 28-year-old’s impressive performances in recent years and in EURO 2024 has propelled him back onto the radar of numerous top clubs around Europe and even a few Premier League Giants, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United all reportedly interested in the midfielder.
Arsenal’s Interest
The North London side seemingly hold the strongest interest in the former Newcastle United man, with a report from Football Transfers claiming that Mikel Arteta has asked the club to sign Merino this summer.
It’s not a huge surprise that there is some big clubs interested in Merino, who is a massively versatile, left-footed midfielder who is capable of playing as a deep-lying midfielder or even as an advanced option, which we have seen in recent days for Spain. With Thomas Partey departing Arsenal this summer, Arteta perhaps sees Merino as the ideal partner for Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield.
Potential Price Tag
According to transfermarkt, Merino is currently valued at around £50million but there is an expectation that he could be available for slightly cheaper this summer. His current contract at the Spanish club is set to expire in June 2025, meaning he has less than 12 months left on his current deal at the club. Therefore, a bid of between £35-40million could be enough to persuade the Spanish side to part ways with the 28-year-old this summer.
You would typically expect top clubs in the Premier League to perhaps be targeting players with a slightly younger age profile than Merino, but if they believe he fits their tactical system well then there could be a deal to be struck.
Other Spanish Talents
That same report from Football Transfers claim that Mikel Arteta is a huge admirer of Nico Williams, who has a release clause of around £58million valid this summer. However, Williams’ wage demands could prove to be a major stumbling block in any potential move for the young forward this summer.
Merino’s midfield partner, Dani Olmo, is also heavily linked with a move to the Premier League with Chelsea and Liverpool ‘interested’. Reports suggest that Chelsea are more willing to trigger the £50million clause in the Spaniard’s current contract at RB Leipzig, whilst Liverpool are still weighing up their options ahead of the Premier League season.
