Last November, reports from Spain said Real Sociedad are aware of Aston Villa’s interest in Mikel Merino.
Fast forward to January and today’s Mundo Deporitvo explains the Villans probed to sign the midfielder. It’s further claimed they are ‘very interested in hiring’ the 26-year-old in the winter market.
The newspaper relays El Confidencial’s claim that Aston Villa are ‘willing to pay’ the player’s €65m release clause this month. However, he has refused to join them.
Merino isn’t the only one at the La Liga side to snub Aston Villa. According to Mundo, the English club ‘came with all their weapons’ to acquire the services of Real Sociedad sporting director, Roberto Olabe.
Unai Emery wanted his compatriot to become the new director of football at Villa Park, but he rejected a better economic proposal in order to continue at La Real. He has also signed a new contract until 2026 at Sociedad, which has pleased their president, Jokin Aperribay.
“Thank you very much for staying and for having decided not to listen to other things,” Mundo quoted Aperribay as saying.
The report says Olabe is ‘considered the architect of the project and the key figure for footballers like Silva, Kubo and Merino to be at Real [Sociedad]’.
With this, Aston Villa have suffered a double blow in their efforts to bring both Merino and Olabe to the club.
