Real Sociedad reject £25m bid for Arsenal’s primary target

Arsenal confirmed their interest in Merino by making an opening bid of around £25m.

Arsenal are in search of a new striker and they have faced a big blow in pursuit of Real Sociedad forward Mikel Merino. The Gunners made their first official bid tp sign the 28-year-old striker.

As per reports, Real Sociedad have turned down the offer from Arsenal. The La Liga giants are not interested in selling Merino. He joined La Liga club in 2018 from Newcastle and he became a vital player for Sociedad.

The 28-year-old scored five goals and provided three assists in 32 league appearances last season. He helped the club secure qualification for the Europa League in the upcoming season.

His impressive skill helped him to find a place in Spain’s Euro 2024 squad which eventually won the trophy in the summer. He scored a stoppage-time winner against Germany in the quarter-final.

Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director Edu are keen to get Merino. According to The Independent, Arsenal confirmed their interest in Merino by making an opening bid of around £25m. However, Sociedad rejected the offer. They want at least £35m for the Spanish midfielder.

Merino has entered in the final 12 months of his current deal at Reale Arena. Both clubs are still having conversations about the potential deal. Meanwhile, Merino wants to play in Premier League and he already refused to sign a contract extension.

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