Mikel Merino speaks on fellow Arsenal transfer target ‘everyone loves’ amid potential reunion

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, with a deal now agreed between the two clubs.

The 28-year-old will now join Arsenal in the coming days, and Mikel Arteta played a huge role in recruiting Merino ahead of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Merino will reunite with former teammate Martin Odegaard in the Arsenal midfield, with the pair playing together when Odegaard was on loan at Real Sociedad in 2019-20.

The midfielder follows Riccardo Calafiori into the club, and Arsenal could attempt to add a forward this summer. However, one of their key targets in Alexander Isak appears to be unavailable now, but by next summer Arsenal may end up pushing for a move.

If Isak joins, he will link up with Merino at a third club, as the pair played together at Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad, and the Spaniard has previously praised the Sweden striker.

Arsenal target Mikel Merino’s praise for Alexander Isak

Speaking to CBS in 2021, Merino highlighted Isak’s qualities off the pitch, with his professionalism standing out at Real Sociedad from a young age.

“I think he’s a great player,” Merino stated of Isak.

“I have the luck of being with him in Dortmund as well, we were there together for six months and when he came here to La Real I was really surprised.

“I was really happy to see him, and we could talk a lot about our time in Dortmund.

“Right now he’s a big, big piece for us, he’s doing great he’s adapting really, really good here, everybody loves him in the dressing room.

“I think he speaks Spanish perfect, so that talks very good about him, the way he wants to adapt here, the way he’s so serious about his job and about not only football, but you know being a good teammate, being a professional”

Could Arsenal eventually sign Alexander Isak?

Arteta is a long-term admirer of Isak, and given that they have not signed a forward this summer, signs point towards Arsenal eventually making a move for Isak in the coming years as a game-changing centre-forward.

A move for Isak this summer seemed impossible, and in the future he may still be priced out of a move. However, unless Arsenal sign another big-money striker, Isak will continue to be of major interest to Arteta.

Isak would make a lot of sense for Arsenal as a game-changing centre-forward, and he thrived alongside Merino and Odegaard when the three played together in Spain.