How much Arsenal will have to add to Mikel Merino bid as Real Sociedad reject first offer

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Arsenal have now made an official offer for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino after weeks of dialogue.

Merino is keen on the move, and has rejected interest from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in order to focus on a potential deal to take him to the Emirates.

Arsenal are keen on strengthening their midfield options and Merino is now seen as a top target. The 28-year-old has excelled in La Liga over the last few years, and was part of the Spain side which won Euro 2024.

After weeks of talks with the player, Arsenal have now made their first official bid to sign Merino, but they are short of Real Sociedad’s valuation of the midfielder.

Arsenal fall short in bid to sign Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad

The Independent have now revealed that Arsenal have bid €30m (£25.7m) for Merino after agreeing a contract with the player, but Real Sociedad have now rejected this.

The La Liga and Premier League seasons will kick off in the coming days, but it appears that a resolution over Merino may not be found until later in the window.

Real Sociedad have now told Arsenal how much they need to pay in order to secure a deal for Merino. After rejecting the £25.7m bid, they are now holding out for €35m (£29.9m), meaning that Arsenal are £4.2m short.

Arsenal need to ensure they secure Mikel Merino deal

Merino is a midfielder who would inject a lot of quality and experience to Mikel Arteta’s side, and even £29.9m could represent incredible market value.

However, if a deal continues to drag on, it would only be to Arsenal’s disadvantage. Arsenal’s first five Premier League fixtures include trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, in which Arteta would prefer to have Merino in the squad and ready to play a part.

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It seems unlikely that the deal is in any danger of falling through, with Arsenal and Real Sociedad sharing a positive relationship from previous transfers, and given Merino’s desire to join, Arteta will be hopeful that a deal can be agreed soon.