Mikel Merino’s camp remains optimistic about a transfer to Arsenal, with Real Sociedad now adamant on a €40 million asking price.
According to Spanish outlet Cope, Mikel Merino’s camp are optimistic that a transfer to Arsenal will go through. Real Sociedad are adamant about a €40 million asking price for the 28-year-old midfielder, with the Gunners reportedly offering slightly less for the Spanish midfielder.
Mikel Merino’s situation so far
The Mikel Merino saga has been dragging on for weeks, and some Arsenal fans are not very happy about it. Arsenal have taken a slow approach in this window, as they did with the Riccardo Calafiori deal, as there’s optimism that the move for the Spanish midfielder will come through eventually.
Arsenal are closing in on a deal with Real Sociedad, who have put out a €40 million price tag on the midfielder. The reports from Spain suggest the Gunners had offered close to €35 million, including add-ons, as the La Liga side is holding out for €40 million all-inclusive.
Real Sociedad’s president, Jokin Aperribay, admitted he would hold talks with Arsenal, and his latest comments indicated a meeting scheduled this week with the Gunners. He said, “Last week we had a meeting with Arsenal, midweek, on Saturday we had a conversation. We will have another one this week, and we will see how it goes,”
Meanwhile, Aperribay also pointed out that Merino had an understanding with the club to join two or three specific sides if they came through. While Sociedad did attempt a late offer to the midfielder, it appears that Arsenal were one of the clubs on the 28-year-old’s list of dream destinations, which made him tell Aperribay he would move on.
Aperribay continued, “When we had meetings to renew Mikel’s contract, he told us that he feels very much a Real Madrid fan, but that if a Premier League team came, and he named two or three, he wanted to fulfil his dream of returning and achieving success. And if not, we would talk about renewing,”
Merino’s camp optimistic about a move
As the move for Merino to Arsenal seems imminent, there’s still some work to be done, namely, to agree on a fee with Sociedad. The 28-year-old’s camp remains mildly optimistic that this deal will get over the line eventually, although they, too, are part of the waiting pack.
Personal terms with the midfielder may not appear to be a significant problem for Arsneal and Merino’s camp. Hence, the main thing here is the agreement between the club, as talks this week could bring about a solution, a compromise that could see the two sides settle for a middle ground.