Arsenal are already making plans for their next four transfer deals in the future, after finalising the acquisition of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. As a result, Mikel Arteta sees a tough last-minute sell-off. The Gunners have wrapped up their fourth signing of the summer after reaching a deal with their Basque counterparts.
They will shell out an initial £27m for Merino, with a potential extra £4.25m in add-ons. The former Newcastle player will ink a four-year contract with the north London club until June 2028, joining David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, and Tommy Setford as permanent additions.
Arsenal Will Not Stopping at Merino’s Signing
Arsenal splashed out about £85 million this summer, and now they are trying to balance their books by selling fringe players. This could give them some quick cash to shop for a striker, even though Viktor Gyokeres’ rumoured move to the Emirates seems less likely as time goes on.
But cheap options like Ivan Toney and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who have one year left on their contracts, might be a good fit to take Eddie Nketiah’s place without breaking the bank.
Arsenal sold Emile Smith-Rowe to Fulham for £34 million in early August. Another London Colney graduate might leave the club too. Nketiah is about to join Crystal Palace for £25 million plus £5 million. The 25-year-old said no to Nottingham Forest and Marseille when the transfer window opened. But Palace could give the former England international the chance to play that he wants.
Selling Nketiah fixes at least one issue for Arteta and Edu. They need to balance the books to sign Spanish international Merino, who now waits for his transfer to get the green light.
Nketiah’s exit also helps the club follow PSR rules since he came up through the club’s academy at London Colney. This means the club can record his sale as ‘pure profit’ in their books. The club has also said yes to Fabio Vieira going back to his old club FC Porto for a year-long loan. However, the Portuguese team does not have the option to buy the attacking midfielder outright.
Aaron Ramsdale, the goalkeeper, cannot seem to figure out what to do. He is not happy about not playing much under Arteta and losing his spot to Raya last season. People thought the 26-year-old might go to Bournemouth, but they are getting Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea on loan instead.
The Daily Mail says Wolves might try to sign him. It could be a close call right up to the end, with three days left before the transfer window closes at 11pm on August 30. Arteta prefers to work with a smaller group of players. He has a few guaranteed starters. The Spaniard wants to reduce his squad size before the deadline.
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La Liga Goalie Seen as Ramsdale Replacement
If Ramsdale leaves, a replacement is ready: Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. The 23-year-old helped his team get promoted to La Liga last season. Arteta thinks he’s the ideal backup.
Arsenal agreed to personal terms with the Spanish keeper, but those talks have not moved forward. Garcia was part of the Spain squad that won an Olympic gold medal in Paris this summer.
Espanyol boss, Manolo Gonzalez, thinks Garcia might stay. The goalkeeper’s price stands at £25m. Gonzalez wants him to stick with the club for years to come. He is keeping his fingers crossed that the player will not be leaving anytime soon.
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