Arsenal set to miss out as long-term transfer target agrees €60m move to rivals

Arsenal look set to miss out on one of their long-term transfer targets after seeing a Premier League rival strike a deal to sign a player the Gunners had initially pursued this summer.

One of Mikel Arteta’s biggest priorities this summer is thought to be a long-term partner in midfield for Declan Rice, particularly with Jorginho and Thomas Partey entering the final 12 months of their contracts.

Arsenal have considered a number of targets, the latest being Mikel Merino, with FootballTransfers exclusively revealing that talks have been held with Real Sociedad over a €25 million transfer.

EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal initiate Mikel Merino talks

Another player on Arsenal’s radar had been Amadou Onana, however the Everton star looks set to join Aston Villa, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirming that a deal worth around £50m (€59m) was close to being struck between the two sides.

Arsenal had held talks with Everton over signing in recent months, while Chelsea were also rumoured to be interested, however neither side were willing or able to meet Everton’s asking price.

But the 22-year-old is now on course to move to Villa Park, having agreed personal terms over a long-term contract.

Arsenal focusing on Calafiori ahead of midfielders

Onana joined Everton from Lille for €35m in 2022 and the French side are believed to be entitled to 20% of the profit made on the sale, which would be roughly €5m.

The likes of Manchester United and Newcastle had also held a long-standing interest in Onana but the player is thought to have been convinced by Villa qualifying for the Champions League next season.

READ MORE: 10 players who could join Arsenal this summer

It leaves Arsenal missing out on another long-term target, having also seen Douglas Luiz leave Villa for Juventus earlier in the window.

However, Arsenal’s priority appears to be defender Riccardo Calafiori, with a move for a midfielder seemingly dependent on seeing the likes of Partey or other fringe players being sold first.