ARSENAL transfer target Mikel Merino has been left out of Real Sociedad’s squad for their La Liga opener on Sunday.
The Spanish giants will play Rayo Vallecano on Sunday night but 28-year-old Merino is nowhere to be seen on the squad list.
Arsenal’s initial bid of £21.5 million for the midfielder was rejected, but they are now preparing an improved offer of £30million to secure the transfer.
Sporting director Edu has been actively involved in negotiations for the Euro 2024 winner and Merino’s openness to the move has further fueled the Gunners’ pursuit.
Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil said: “I’ve left Merino out of the squad as there are talks with other clubs… and this is the best solution now.”
Merino has one year remaining on his contract and played a pivotal role for Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament.
He scored the crucial second goal against Germany in the quarter-finals, a looping header that found the net in the 119th minute, securing Spain’s victory.
The star also contributed to Spain’s 2-1 win over England in the final, coming on during the closing stages to help see out the match.
Last season the midfielder made 45 appearances across all competitions for Real Sociedad, scoring eight goals.
If the deal goes through, Merino would be Arsenal’s second major addition to the squad this summer.
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The Gunners have already secured Italian international defender Riccardo Calafiori for £42million, and they’ve also made David Raya’s loan move from Brentford permanent.
Merino previously played in the Premier League during the 2017-18 season with Newcastle.
Since then, he has become a key figure at Real Sociedad under coach Imanol Alguacil.
Merino’s consistency is evident in his 242 appearances for Erreala, where he has consistently played at least 40 games per season over the last three years.
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