Arsenal are looking to sign a central midfielder before the transfer deadline on August 30 and they have already identified their main target.
The Gunners have finalised personal terms with Mikel Merino and talks are ongoing with Real Sociedad to try and find a suitable agreement.
According to El Desmarque, Arsenal made a formal bid of £25.6 million for Merino this week, but the offer was deemed insufficient by Sociedad.
There is currently a £8.5m difference in the valuation between the clubs and negotiations are continuing to find a solution in the coming days.
With this in mind, Merino is unlikely to be involved for Sociedad during the La Liga curtain-raiser against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday evening.
Arsenal likely to negotiate lesser fee for Merino
The London giants have made just one outfield signing in Riccardo Calafiori this summer.
Merino is the priority target at the moment, but the club may not want to pay over the odds. The Spaniard is 28 years of age and may not have a resale value.
Sociedad are eyeing £34.1m for the Euro 2024 winner, but Arsenal will no doubt want to lower the fee to around £30m including add-ons in the next few days.
In our view, a middle ground could be found soon. Merino has indicated that he wants to go to Arsenal and the same has been communicated to Sociedad’s president.
The midfielder, who has been described as ‘world-class‘ by Kieran Tierney, would be a solid acquisition for Arsenal due to his strong defensive attributes and creativity.
Merino, who has a release clause worth £56m in his Sociedad contract, won a stunning 10.2 duels per La Liga game last season alongside 2.4 tackles and 6.2 recoveries.
He was also effective in the final third with eight goals and five assists in all competitions. The ex-Newcastle United man could prove an intelligent short-term signing.
