The Gunners are in advanced talks with the Basque club over a deal for the Spain international, according to The Times and are close to agreeing a £29.8m transfer fee. The midfielder has already reached a personal agreement with the club over a contract.
Merino has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Sociedad and had been linked with a move to north London throughout the summer window.
Merino close to the Gunners
The Euro 2024 winner was also a target for Barcelona, but his future appears to lie in England.
The 28-year-old spent one season in the Premier League with Newcastle, having initially joined on loan from Borussia Dortmund before making the move permanent. A year later, he opted to leave St James’ Park in order to return to Spain to join Sociedad in 2018.
