Real Sociedad President Jokin Aperribay admitted to talks with Arsenal for Mikel Merino and hinted at the player’s desire to join the Gunners.
Many Arsenal fans are starting to feel the Mikel Merino deal has been dragged out of proportion and will want the club to close the agreement as soon as possible. There’s a sense that the Gunners are only focusing on one deal at a time, and it took a while before they signed defender Riccardo Calafiori earlier.
In the case of Merino, it’s been clear that the player is keen to join the Gunners and play under Mikel Arteta. Real Sociedad tried to offer him a new deal in a desperate attempt to keep him at the club, but the player has made his desire clear to the club and its president, Jokin Aperribay.
Arsenal reportedly failed with an opening offer, probably a verbal one, as there are suggestions that Real Sociedad might want around €35 million. Either way, the Gunners do not seem to have competition for the 28-year-old ace, and hence, they are taking their time to get the best deal possible.
Real Sociedad president Aperribay admitted to talks with Arsenal and insisted the club had not received an offer to their liking. He also hinted at Merino’s desire without naming Arteta’s side, as this deal could progress in the coming days, as his comments on Fabrizio Romano’s post described.
Aperribay said, “We will talk to Arsenal and defend the interests of Real Sociedad”.
“When we consider that the offer is good, we will say yes”. “We know what Merino’s wishes are, so we decided not to call him up”.
The deal for Merino seems imminent as things stand, with multiple outlets reporting an agreement is getting closer. There might be a long, drawn-out process, and the agreement on the final fee remains to be resolved, with Arsenal keen to wrap up this signing as soon as possible.
Arteta has long sought a left-sided midfielder, and judging by the stats, MErino fits the Spaniard’s requirements. The 28-year-old ace will essentially be seen as a long-term replacement for Granit Xhaka, who left last summer.
With Merino, Arteta will be confident of having a good enough set of midfielders fit for mounting a title challenge. The 28-year-old also gives him options if, for instance, Thomas Partey suffers more fitness troubles, as the manager will have alternatives and new systems to bank on with the Spaniard on his side.
