Arsenal have looked into signing a Real Madrid superstar to shore up one key area of Mikel Arteta's team this summer, and there is a belief that sporting director Edu Gaspar may well bring in one more addition after the heavily linked Mikel Merino.

Arsenal could make eleventh-hour move for attacker after Merino

The north Londoners are apparently prepared to make an eleventh-hour move to sign a new attacker for Arteta, once they finally seal an agreement for Merino, after weeks of rumoured talks with Real Sociedad.

Real Sociedad make "ambitious" Merino demand after failed £26m Arsenal bid

The La Liga side are playing hardball.

ByEmilio Galantini

Arsenal remain locked in discussions over a deal for Merino, with the Spaniard already agreeing personal terms over a move to north London (Fabrizio Romano), so the transfer appears to rest on whether Edu can find a Sociedad compromise in negotiations.

Once, or if, they get a deal for Merino finalised at long last – then attention will switch to whether Arteta's side can bring in a new forward before the summer transfer cut-off at the end of this month.

Team

Date

Wolves (home)

August 17

Aston Villa (away)

August 24

Brighton (home)

August 31

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Various reports this week have claimed that Arsenal could lodge a last-minute summer bid to sign a forward after Merino, with journalist Steve Kay claiming that his sources expect the Gunners to do something "big" near the end of August.

"I’m expecting a midfielder to come in and I’m expecting someone up front to come in," said Kay.

"I have a funny feeling they’re working on something big, I have this sneaky feeling from speaking to people and how we’ve been doing our business, people I’m talking to seem to think something big is going to happen."

A wide array of wide players, who could help to alleviate the pressure on Bukayo Saka's shoulders, have been linked throughout the summer. Arsenal held a keen interest in Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, but the Spaniard now appears set to remain at his current club.

Edu also considered Pedro Neto before he joined London rivals Chelsea, but a very high-profile star in Real Madrid winger Rodrygo is someone they also pondered moving for.

Arsenal have looked at signing Rodrygo from Real Madrid

That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who told GiveMeSport that Arsenal looked into doing a deal for Rodrygo "a while back" in the transfer window.

The £205,000-per-week Brazil sensation scored 17 goals and assisted nine others across 51 appearances in all competitions under Carlo Ancelotti last season, so it would've been a phenomenal coup by Edu to get a move for the "special" Rodrygo over the line.

Considering just how crucial he is for Real, this transfer always looked a very difficult one to pull off, as his sky-high salary and £136 million price tag appear pretty unattainable from an Arsenal perspective.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a Bernabeu exit this summer, but Rodrygo has played down reports linking him with a Real Madrid departure.