Mikel Merino to Arsenal is a rumour that seems to be heating up.

Reports in Spain seem to suggest that Arsenal are close to signing the midfielder in the coming days.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, that isn't quite the case as things stand.

Indeed, speaking on The Debrief, Romano says that while there is interest in Merino from Arsenal, no bid has been made.

Romano says that Arsenal have asked about details on Merino's availability, but, as things stand, nothing is close to being done.

"Merino could be an option for many clubs, there is also interest from Arsenal, but they never made a bid, they just asked about information about the player. Atletico Madrid really like Merino, Barcelona appreciate the player, but they haven't started proper negotiations because they're focused on Nico Williams, their dream target," Romano said.

Arsenal have work to do It's been claimed that Merino to Arsenal is close, but, by the sounds of it, Arsenal still have a lot of work to do on this front.

Of course, with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona also keen, this may not be a straightforward deal.

Arsenal still need to decide whether or not Merino is the midfielder they actually want to go after.

The Gunners have also been linked with other players such as Martin Zubimendi, and with the Premier League title within touching distance last season, Mikel Arteta needs to make sure he's adequately strengthening his team this summer.

Whether or not Merino is the man to take Arsenal to the title remains to be seen, but given how he fared in the Premier League with Newcastle last time around, there are perhaps some doubts around Merino's ability to step up.

It sounds as though the reports from Spain claiming that Merino to Arsenal was on the cards were slightly premature.