Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has travelled to London to close Mikel Merino’s sale to Arsenal.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who say Aperribay intends to make Arsenal accept his €40m demands for the transfer to happen.
They report that Aperribay is willing to accept payment in instalments and for that figure to be met between a fixed sum and variables.
According to the newspaper, the resolution of Arsenal’s weeks long pursuit of Merino is much closer and Aperribay deciding to travel is a clear sign of that fact.
He wants to ensure Real Sociedad get the ‘greatest reward’ for their player and that is why he has personally flown to ‘close the sale’ with Arsenal.
His intention is to get €40m for the Spanish midfielder and would be willing to accept a payment in instalments in order to get to that figure. He accepts it’s a high one given Merino has a year left on his deal but there is a clear belief the Gunners can be talked into it.
Aperribay had already acknowledged publicly that he had held a meeting with Arsenal last week for the midfielder, and then held contacts with them over the weekend.
Those were not fruitful, and it seems he’s now taken the initiative to push things along and bring the saga to an end.
