Arsenal has been linked with a move for Mikel Merino in this transfer window, with the Gunners reportedly already working on the move behind the scenes.
The Real Sociedad midfielder has just one season left on his contract at the La Liga club, and they are not confident that he will sign an extension.
This is a boost to Arsenal’s chances of signing him, and the Gunners are already in talks with his entourage.
However, they are not the only club interested in Merino, and Barcelona is their biggest challenger for his signature.
The Catalans need to rebuild their squad, and they consider Merino a player who can help them achieve this.
Arsenal will have to overcome tough competition from Barcelona; however, a report on Mundo Deportivo claims Barca is now focused on signing Nico Williams.
They have abandoned their pursuit of Merino and other targets until they secure a yes from Williams.
This means now is the best time for Arsenal to move ahead of Barcelona and lure Merino to London.
If Barca resumes their pursuit of Merino, he might prefer joining them over moving back to the Premier League.
Just Arsenal Opinion
We also like Williams, but we probably should focus on snapping up Merino now before Barcelona shows strong interest in his signature.
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I think we just need a block buster forward signing who can score plenty of goals and we will then have an era of Success
We have to pay a premium price but to be the best we have to pay
It seems that Barcelona has put interest in Merino on hold while they seek to sign Williams (and they appear to be making progress there).
If Arsenal wants Merino – and he looks a reasonable buy to me – they shouldn’t delay too long in my opinion. Barcelona remains a very big draw for players in Spain.