Arsenal are set to push to complete the signing of Mikel Merino today (Thursday). The club are still negotiating a deal with Real Sociedad, despite the player having reportedly agreed personal terms ahead of his proposed move.
Merino was left out of his side's matchday squad for the La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, with manager Imanol Alguacil admitting his decision was due to the midfielder being in talks with another club.
However, the saga took a twist on Tuesday, when it emerged Sociedad had rejected Arsenal's £30million offer.
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Club president Jokin Aperribay is said to want closer to £35m, and is currently in London in a bid to get the transfer completed. Merino is currently in the final 12 months of his deal, and will be eligible to leave for free next summer if he isn't sold beforehand.
And according to Revelo, the Gunners are not prepared to let negotiations drag on any longer. Mikel Arteta's side go to Aston Villa on Saturday, with the manager seemingly keen to finalise all his business before the transfer window enters its final week.
The Spanish outlet have reported that club chiefs will push hard to get Merino on board by the end of Thursday. According to Premier League rules, a player must be registered by 12pm the last working day before a game in order to be eligible to play.
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Therefore, if Arsenal were able to get the deal done imminently, Merino would technically be available for selection for the trip to Villa Park. However, the 28-year-old would still be unlikely to feature given it would leave little time for him to train with his new team-mates.
Club chiefs and fans have seemingly grown frustrated at Sociedad playing hardball. Indeed, a number of Arsenal supporters have taken to social media to urge Arteta and sporting director Edu to switch their attention to other targets.
On Monday, Aperribay confirmed to the radio station Onda Vasca on Monday that the Euro 2024 winner had expressed his desire to leave the club. “Merino was clear that he didn’t want to say he was renewing and then leave. It wasn’t a surprise to us,” he said.
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“We will talk to Arsenal and defend the interests of La Real. When we consider that the offer is good, we will say yes. We know what Merino’s wishes are, so we decided that he should not be called up for the game on Sunday.”
The proposed signing isn't the only deal Arsenal are looking to close this week. Talks are continuing with Nottingham Forest over the sale of Eddie Nketiah, after the striker's move to Marseille fell through.
