'Behind this story': Fabrizio Romano now shares what he's been told about Mikel Merino

The Mikel Merino to Arsenal transfer saga has been going on since Euro 2024 ended.

The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move to sign the Real Sociedad midfielder, who has entered the final year of his contract. Merino is Arsenal’s top midfield target, and they are pushing to sign him.

The Spaniard is a fantastic player, and he will surely take Mikel Arteta’s midfield to the next level. Many even feel Merino is Arsenal’s replacement for Granit Xhaka.

Merino returned to Real Sociedad for their pre-season, and Romano has now had his say on what happened at Real Sociedad on Thursday.

Mikel Merino left out of Real Sociedad squad because he has an agreement with Arsenal

News emerged on Thursday that Real Sociedad had left Merino out of their squad for their pre-season game against Union Berlin.

The official reason behind Merino’s exclusion was that he was injured, but that may not be the case.

Romano has constantly updated fans about the Gunners’ pursuit of the Spanish midfielder, and he revealed weeks ago that Arsenal are very close to signing Merino.

It was even claimed that Merino only wanted to join Arsenal and had stopped negotiations with other clubs interested in his signature.

Now, after he was left out of the Real Sociedad squad, Gunners fans turned to Romano for an explanation of the situation.

The journalist has revealed that although the Spanish club are saying Merino is injured, the reason he was left out of the squad is because he ‘has an agreement with Arsenal’ over a potential move.

The two clubs are now working on the payment terms to close the deal.

Romano said about Merino in his Daily Briefing: “He hasn’t been called up for Real Sociedad’s next game because they say that he’s not 100 per cent fit, but we know the transfer is behind this story because Mikel Merino has an agreement with Arsenal.

“The contract is already agreed. The player said yes. He knows that Mikel Arteta wants him. This is the reality.

“Arsenal have been closing in on the deal since last week, but they need to agree on the payment structure, payment terms, so a work in progress.”

READ MORE: Why Arsenal and Mikel Merino have become ‘very nervous’ after recent developments 

What should Arsenal do after signing Merino?

Arsenal are right to target Merino, and he would be a great signing for them if this deal does go through.

The Gunners, however, will need at least one more signing before the transfer window shuts to be really ready to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.

After Merino, Arsenal should focus on getting a new attacker – either an out-and-out centre-forward or a versatile winger who predominantly plays on the right flank.

The latter may just be more important at this moment in time because Bukayo Saka needs a like-for-like backup. If Arsenal don’t find one, the Englishman may have to play almost every game again next season.

That would increase the risk of injuries, which is something Arsenal simply cannot afford as he is arguably their most important player.