Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could not hide his smile after being asked about his side’s pursuit of Mikel Merino.

The Gunners are keen to bolster their midfield ranks in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window, having already acquired the services of David Raya on a permanent basis from Brentford and won the race to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna.

Further incomings are expected at the Emirates Stadium, with several attacking options being assessed. Signing a midfielder remains a priority in north London though, with Real Sociedad’s Merino shortlisted as their top target.

The Gunners have been locked in negotiations for the Spain international since he returned from competing at Euro 2024, and recent reports suggest that an agreement is now on the horizon.

But Arteta refused to comment on the speculation regarding the interest, though his response to the line of questioning went a long way to suggesting that Arsenal are indeed interested in signing the 28-year-old.

Asked whether ‘Mikel likes Mikel’, the Gunners boss attempted to laugh off the question by responding with a grin: “If I like myself, you mean?”

Arteta then continued to smile when it was confirmed that Merino was the player being referred to, saying: “You know that I cannot talk about any other players.”

The 42-year-old remained coy when asked about further business, adding: “After the season we had two objectives – the main and most important one is make sure we are still in love with our players. Then, OK if there are still opportunities in the market we will look at them.”

Arteta also confirmed that outgoings remain a possibility whilst the window is open, with Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Aaron Ramsdale among a host of players who are expected to be the subject of bids before the transfer window closes.

The higher powers at Arsenal will learn plenty about their side and whether there is a need for reinforcements when they face Wolves on Saturday. Arteta insisted that his team have ‘great strikers’ at the club already, though it remains to be seen whether that stance changes depending on how Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz perform. The Gunners have been linked with Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen on several occasions this summer.