Barcelona consider Arsenal as biggest threat in race for midfield target | OneFootball

The powers that be at La Liga giants Barcelona view Arsenal as their one and only real threat in the battle for a leading summer transfer target.

That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who point towards Mikel Merino as the player in question.

Real Sociedad standout Merino, it is understood, has made his way to the very top of the wishlist of Deco and the Camp Nou brass with a view to next season.

Unable to finance deals for some of their more high-profile engine room targets, Merino, whose contract at Anoeta is set to expire in just 12 months’ time, is considered the ideal market opportunity.

The former Newcastle United star, for his part, is fresh off a stellar campaign with the aforementioned Sociedad, culminating in his inclusion in Spain’s squad for Euro 2024.

And such exploits, evidently, did not go at all unnoticed behind the scenes at the Camp Nou.

As per MD:

‘Merino is a footballer who is very popular at Can Barça in the context of ‘fair play’ and is seen as a midfielder with the ability to play both offensively and defensively.

Barcelona, as a result, are giving serious consideration to launching an imminent assault on Merino’s signature.

In the race to land the 28-year-old, though, the Blaugrana see one and only one legitimate threat.

The outfit in question come in the form of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who are understood to be keen to bring Merino back to the Premier League, amid their own search for fresh blood in the middle of the park.

Conor Laird | GSFN