Club president now in London to complete Arsenal transfer | OneFootball

Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has travelled to London to finalise Mikel Merino’s transfer to Arsenal, with the deal now all-but-agreed.

Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino celebrates his goal during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg football match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian on March 5, 2024. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images)

Roberto Ramajo reports for Spanish outlet AS that Jokin Aperribay has travelled to London to close the transfer of Mikel Merino.

According to the report, Arsenal and Real Sociedad are set to do a deal at €35m (£29.9m), with an additional €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons.

That will enable Sociedad to hit their target of €40m for Merino’s sale, but they’ve had to make some concessions to get there, with favourable payment terms for Arsenal. The Gunners will pay the guaranteed €35m in four instalments.

Spain’s midfielder Mikel Merino addresses a press conference of Spain’s national football team, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 European football Championships, in Donaueschingen, on June 12, 2024. (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Ramajo adds that the plan is to have everything done this week, rather than waiting for the final week of the market. If all goes as planned, Merino’s transfer will be official before Sociedad’s game against Espanyol on Saturday.

Ideally, Merino will complete his move before midday on Friday, as that would make him eligible for Arsenal’s game against Aston Villa on Saturday.

There’s still a long way to go before then though, with Merino yet to complete a medical and the usual transfer formalities.

STUTTGART, GERMANY: Mikel Merino of Spain celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA EURO 2024 quarter-final match between Spain and Germany at Stuttgart Arena on July 05, 2024. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Edu Gaspar already travelled to Spain to pursue an agreement for Merino’s transfer earlier this month, so we’ll have to hope Aperribay’s trip to London finally gets it done.

David Ornstein reported last week that Arsenal were confident of a positive resolution, with Merino himself keen to join and personal terms not thought to be an issue.

Sociedad offered Merino a new contract to try and convince him to stay, but his representatives made it clear that he wants to join Arsenal.

Merino made 45 appearances for Sociedad last season, scoring eight goals and assisting a further five. He then joined up with Spain on international duty, featuring throughout Euro 2024 as his team ended up winning the trophy.