Now that Arsenal have officially signed Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori for £42m, and he’s completed his medical and joined the squad on their preseason tour of America. It’s time for the club to turn their attention to the next summer deal: a midfielder.

Declan Rice, who the Gunners signed last summer for a club record £105m, ended up being one of the best midfielders in England. His ability to do a little bit of everything took Mikel Arteta’s side to new height’s. He broke down defense’s with his ball-carrying, movement and passing. He also took quite a few shots from outside the box, with a couple of them coming close to beating the ‘keeper. This was a nice added dimension to the Arsenal offense, as they like to “walk” the ball into the net or score off corner-kicks. The physicality and way he threw himself into challenges was tone-setting. Most importantly, he displayed the leadership qualities of a captain, never getting too high or too low emotionally and always encouraging everyone to play hard and believe until the end. If Arteta and Arsenal are to finally break-through, ending their 21-year Premier League title drought, and slay the Manchester City dragon, then another player similar to Rice will be needed in the midfield.

Enter Mikel Merino, a 6-ft 2-in, 28-year-old, left-footed Spanish midfielder, who currently plays for Real Sociedad in La Liga. He, like Declan Rice, is adept at playing a variety of midfield roles and can change in an instant. It’s true his game is slightly more combative and defensive than the Englishman, but that means Merino could act as a shield for the back-4 as a defensive midfielder, freeing up Rice to push further up the pitch. In fact, the Spaniard was one of the best in Europe last season at winning the ball back, a staple of an Arteta coached side. At 28, he doesn’t fit the age range sporting director Edu Gaspar normally covets, but the market is slow and this potential deal represents good value.

The financial aspect is quite interesting. Mikel Merino’s contract with Real Sociedad ends on June 30th, 2025. Meaning, even though his market value is currently at €50m, Arsenal may be able to negotiate a lower fee with the Spanish club of around €25-€30m. A very good price for a very good player. Although, if any deal is to be struck the Gunners will have to fend off interest from Barcelona.

Real Sociedad’s president, Jokin Aperribay, revealed the club has an extension offer on the table and went as far as saying, “I would like him not to leave. If he tells us that he likes any of the offers he has on the table, we will see. We are not negotiating with any club now. We are aware that Merino has offers, and we know them. The conversation with him and those around him has been very sincere and hopefully his decision is to stay, he already knows that we want him to stay.”

As always, the decision rests with the player. If he officially turns down the extension, then negotiations between the clubs should heat up fairly quickly unless Real Sociedad ask for a fee much closer to his market value and this saga drags on. The player would fit perfectly into the squad and help to rebalance the left, along with Riccardo Calafiori. Hopefully Mikel Arteta can get into contact with Merino and explain his vision and plan for the midfielder. If those two things happen, then expect Mikel Merino to end up in North London.