Arsenal are thought to be seriously pushing to sign a £21 million player, and manager Mikel Arteta is said to personally want him at the Emirates.
Edu and Arteta target new midfielder for Arsenal this summer
Sporting director Edu Gaspar and the wider recruitment team are believed to be targeting a new midfielder this summer, coming after Mohamed Elneny's departure from London Colney and the uncertainty surrounding Thomas Partey's future.
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The Ghanaian's contract expires next summer, so he could be sold in the coming weeks as Arsenal consider making some money back off the £45 million spent on him from Atletico Madrid in 2020.
Partey made just 14 Premier League appearances last season, largely due to fitness issues, and Arsenal would be saving some money off his £200,000-per-week salary if they can find a suitable buyer for the 31-year-old.
Appearances
115
Goals
5
Assists
4
Bookings
24
Red cards
1
Minutes played
7,794
Saudi have expressed an interest in signing Partey, as have clubs from Turkey, according to various reports. Arsenal extended Jorginho's contract by a further year to provide support for star man Declan Rice in midfield, but it is believed that the north Londoners want another body in that area.
Everton's Amadou Onana is a transfer target for Arsenal in that respect, as is Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi. Arsenal are even willing to pay Zubimendi's entire release clause, but the roadblock is whether he'll choose to leave Sociedad this summer.
“Midfield is still a high priority, and we know that Arsenal have had a long-standing interest in Martin Zubimendi," said journalist Ben Jacobs to GiveMeSport.
“And the challenge there is about persuading the player to leave Real Sociedad because he's very much in love with the club and the culture, lifestyle, so he's settled. But because he's in his mid 20s, not early 20s or a teenager, it's kind of a crossroad, because once you turn 26, even though that's your peak, a lot of clubs like to buy a little bit younger. So we wait and see whether Arsenal move in that direction.”
Luckily, a far cheaper alternative to Zubimendi, and someone who could be more willing to make a Premier League move, is the Spaniard's teammate Mikel Merino.
Sociedad expecting Merino exit as Arsenal push to sign him
Spanish news outlet El Diario Vasco, relayed by Sport Witness, have shared an update on this, claiming Arsenal are "bidding the most" to sign Merino and Arteta personally wants him.
This somewhat echoes other reports that Arteta is personally trying to get Merino to Arsenal, but El Diario Vasco believe that Sociedad are fully expecting the Spaniard to leave this summer. He hasn't responded to their latest contract offer, which has caused concern over his future.
Merino's current deal expires in 2025, meaning he could also be available for a cut-price £21 million and over half the value of his release clause. The former Newcastle midfielder has been a hero for Spain at Euro 2024 as well, scoring the winner against Germany in their quarter-final tie.
He could be Arsenal's most astute option to succeed Partey, considering other midfield targets like Onana and Zubimendi will come at a much higher premium.