Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino has been waiting for Arsenal to make a concrete approach to sign him this summer.
The midfielder has less than a year left on his deal and it’s been made clear that he hasn’t accepted the renewal offer proposed by the La Liga side.
Noticias de Gipuzkoa state La Real are ‘desperate’ to retain the 28-year-old amid interest from Arsenal.
The Spanish club have ‘spared no expense’ to try and convince the 28-year-old to stay. They have offered him and Martín Zubimendi, who has attracted interest from Liverpool, new deals to make them top earners at the club.
There’s feeling Real Sociedad are late with their offer for Merino, which is ‘still a long way’ from what Mikel Arteta’s side are proposing.
In addition to this, the Spaniard has informed Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay that he ‘wants to go to Arsenal’.
The report states ‘everything seems to indicate’ that Merino’s future will be resolved in the next few days, after Arsenal launch an offensive.
On Friday, Noticias de Gipuzkoa stated the Reds’ interest in Zubimendi has made Arsenal nervous about missing out on his compatriot. Therefore, Arteta’s side will make an offer for Merino in the coming days.
Saturday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo says Merino hasn’t found a total agreement with the north London club, but that won’t be a problem.
Recent claims have stated Arsenal could offer €25m for the Spain international, but Mundo say Real Sociedad are ‘going to put pressure on’ to get close to €35m. The player also wants his club to earn as much as possible from his sale.
