Arsenal
Premier League • England
Arsenal ready £70m ‘offer’ for leading LaLiga star as Andrea Berta prepares for shock sale – report
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta alongside Gunners boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal are reportedly planning to splash £70million on Athletic Bilbao attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, with Andrea Berta prepared to sell a star who only joined the Gunners 13 months ago.
The Gunners are fully focused on mounting a Premier League title charge this season, with Mikel Arteta’s side facing Manchester City on Sunday in what could prove to be a vital fixture for both teams.
Arsenal sporting director Berta, however, remains focused on transfer dealings, and reports from Spain suggest that he has set his sights on Sancet as a key target for next summer.
The 25-year-old signed for LaLiga side Athletic Bilbao in 2020, and has made 197 appearances for the Basque club to date, notching 43 goals and 18 assists.
Sancet, who played 68 minutes in the Champions League against Arsenal on Tuesday, penned a new, long-term contract with the Bilbao side in 2023, which runs until 2032, putting them in a strong negotiating position.
However, according to Fichajes, Arsenal are already preparing a £70million bid for Sancet as they look to bring him to the Emirates in 2026, despite spending over £250million on recruits this summer.
But the player that Sancet is reportedly set to replace is perhaps the most interesting part of this rumour…
Arsenal ‘preparing’ for Mikel Merino exit – shock claim
The report suggests that Sancet is being eyed by Berta as a replacement for Arsenal ace Mikel Merino, who has ‘not been entirely convincing,’ and his departure could ‘open the door for a restructuring in midfield,’ it’s claimed.
And if Merino leaves, Arsenal are ready to make an ‘additional effort’ to bring in Sancet, who has been one of Athletic Bilbao’s biggest stars in recent seasons.
But does Merino deserve to be sold?
The Spanish international, who joined from Real Sociedad for around £31.6million last summer, has played in a multitude of positions – even as a striker on occasion – for the Gunners, and has generally performed well.
The 29-year-old has featured in three of Arsenal’s four Premier League games so far this term, starting two of those games.
Last season, Merino notched seven goals in 28 league appearances for the North London side, playing a key role in a campaign where they finished second.
It would therefore be a shock for Arteta to sanction a Merino exit at this stage, though it is true that the manager could look to trim his squad in 2026 following a busy summer.
Sancet is undoubtedly a top player, but with Bilbao under zero pressure to sell, it could even take higher than £70m to lure him away from the LaLiga side, who aim to qualify for the Champions League again this term.
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