Arsenal identify ideal signing once Mikel Merino joins after 'making 10 new enquiries'

Arsenal are casting their net wide in the hunt for a new attacking player before the transfer deadline. The Gunners have agreed a deal to sign Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad for an initial £28.4million, with an additional £4.2m in add-ons, and he should arrive soon.

Now, boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly focusing on securing a wide player, with numerous potential targets being considered. Nico Williams, another star of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team, has been linked with Arsenal for some time.

He fits Arteta’s ideal player profile perfectly, but it has been suggested he wants to stay with Athletic Club for at least another season, potentially moving to Barcelona in the future. Despite Williams’ apparent preference to remain in Spain, Arsenal, who are prepared to meet his £48million release clause, could make one last attempt to sign the 22-year-old.

However, he is not the only wide player on Arsenal’s extensive target list. As reported by the Independent’s Reading the Game Newsletter, Arsenal have made enquiries about at least 10 wide players in recent weeks.

If they fail to secure Williams, who would likely be a first-team regular, they could turn their attention to a less high-profile and cheaper player. Arsenal could be eyeing a player similar to Leandro Trossard, who while not always in the starting XI brings depth and game-changing ability. The Belgian showed that in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, where he opened the scoring shortly after coming off the bench.

The Gunners have also had their sights on central strikers, including Alexander Isak, although they were reluctant to match Newcastle’s asking price for the Swedish forward. A potential deal for Brentford’s Ivan Toney is said to have been dismissed by Arsenal before the Euros.

Meanwhile, their interest in Benjamin Sesko, at least for now, was curtailed when he penned a new deal with RB Leipzig in June. With Gabriel Jesus sidelined due to a groin injury sustained in training, missing out against Villa, Arsenal’s search for a striker may need to intensify.

Addressing Jesus’s condition after the win at Villa Park, Arteta said: “We’ll need to assess him. We need to have an MRI scan to see, but he wasn’t available for the game.”

The injury to Jesus might impact Eddie Nketiah, who is nearing a move to Nottingham Forest and was on the bench against Villa. Arteta added: “At the moment, Eddie is our player. He’s very committed to us. Regardless of the noise, he’s here and he wants to be here with us. He’s really happy that we won the game.”