Arsenal in pole position to sign Merino despite interest from Chelsea

Arsenal will face competition from clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Arsenal are busy in the summer transfer window and the Gunners are ready to make the first official signing of the season. The new season will kick off next month.

Arsenal recently reached an agreement with Bologna to purchase Riccardo Calafiori. They are still waiting for the Serie A club to negotiate payment terms with Basel over the sell-on clause.

The North London club are expected to focus on more reinforcements. They will now push for a new midfielder and a striker.

As per the reporting of Noticias de Gipuzkoa, the Gunners are interested in signing Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino this summer. They will face competition from clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

The Spaniard want to play for Arsenal next season. His playing style suits him. A move to the Premier League would be good for the sporting and financial side of his career.

Merino has made close to 250 appearances at Sociedad. He can play in the defensive and central midfield positions. The 28-year-old netted eight goals and provided five assists from 45 appearances for the Basque outfit.

Merino will not be a regular starter for Arteta but he can give competition to other players. The Sociedad player can sell him for a low price of £20 million.

See More: