Arsenal are pressing ahead with their business in the summer transfer window. After lengthy talks with Bologna over Riccardo Calafiori, the Gunners have finally struck a deal in the region of €50 million ($54m) to bring him to north London, according to reports.
The 22-year-old defender has been identified as their top defensive target for the past few weeks but negotiations had stalled, with the Italian outfit determined to drive a hard bargain due to a hefty sell-on clause inserted by his former club FC Basel.
With the deal now almost in the bag, the Gunners look primed to quickly move their focus to central midfield, and Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino appears very much their priority target.
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Arsenal ramp up Mikel Merino pursuit
According to Sport, the Gunners are ready to up the ante in pursuit of the 28-year-old Spanish star, who is expected to leave Real Sociedad and has not penned a contract extension despite his current deal expiring next summer.
The north Londoners have been keeping tabs on him for weeks and now appear ready to accelerate their interest following his strong performance at Euro 2024.
However, they are not the only club chasing his signature and face stiff competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, the latter of whom are said to have made Merino their top target for midfield but are first trying to seal deals for Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.
