Arsenal make surprise £25m transfer plan to hand Mikel Arteta perfect Premier League title squad

Mikel Merino represents the second piece of Arsenal business that disproves early summer transfer window theories

Arsenal are looking to end the summer transfer window strongly and provide Mikel Arteta with the group to challenge for the title for a third successful time. Having already signed David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori, the Gunners are not done and more signings are expected.

Discussions over a move for Mikel Merino remain ongoing, the Real Sociedad central midfielder who impressed at the European Championships this summer. Although an official offer is not understood by football.londonto have been made yet, the strong relationship between the two sides would allow for the deal to accelerate quickly to completion when it reaches the next stage.

Interestingly, there was much discussion ahead of and throughout the window of the difficulty in bringing in a level of player who raises the ceiling of the squad. It was thought that on the whole, the club’s depth would be targeted and therefore the floor raised instead.

However, with Calafiori and potentially Merino, Arteta may instead find that he has two potential starters in his midst. The left-back role has been in a state of flux for the past couple of seasons with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu all vying for the position.

Jurrien Timber is also in the frame and the versatile defender is now fit and will be making a claim to start plenty of matches this season. Calafiori though offers Arteta the defensive acumen and offensive ability he has looked for in a defender for the role and he and Timber will surely be vying for the role this time around.

Merino would be joining a midfield which has just seen Emile Smith Rowe join Fulham on a permanent move. Thomas Partey was considered the starting partner to Declan Rice however rumours of a summer exit and some questionable form have certainly pulled the rug from under that position.

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Merino for many comes in and starts alongside Rice and Martin Odegaard. Arteta has enjoyed improving not just the quality but the overall look of his side with much more physically robust players joining and his compatriot certainly fulfils this and was one of the most impressive aerial-duel-winning midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

Therefore a window where it had appeared to be one focused on depth has still brought competition for the Gunners but equally has improved the starting options in the side too. It is always preferable to improve the strength in depth of a team by making the current starters the depth themselves.

It could still be that a forward sign before the window closes. However, considering Bukayo Saka is the starting figure on the right, were it to be a player for this position it would indeed be as a competitor and not a starter.

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