Real Sociedad offer Mikel Merino new contract to ward off Arsenal transfer interest

Mikel Merino has been offered a new contract by Real Sociedad as the Spanish club bid to fight off interest from Arsenal.

The Gunners want to sign a new midfielder this summer and they are tracking Merino, who is currently on holiday after helping Spain win Euro 2024.

Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have also been linked with a move for the 28-year-old, who is into the final 12 months of his contract.

Sociedad, however, are hoping they can persuade Merino to stay and a new deal is on the table for him to sign.

“We are not in any conversation with any club to get any player to leave,” Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay is quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

“We knew that the summer was going to be long and that is how it is going to be, we are going to manage [it] during August. We will try to make the team come out stronger.

“I think that Merino has been honest with Real Sociedad during the last year, if he has not renewed it is because he did not want to tell the fans: ‘I’m staying’ - and then leave.

“I would like him not to leave. If he tells us that he likes any of the offers he has on the table, we will see. We are not negotiating with any club now.

“We are aware that Merino has offers, and we know them. The conversation with him and those around him has been very sincere and hopefully his decision is to stay, he already knows that we want him to stay.

“He has had a renewal offer for some time. And if not, we will try to negotiate the best way out for Real.

“Whether [it is his release] clause or not, what we think is that the club has to look to the future. Try to be stronger every year or every day.

“You don’t have to hide behind a contract when a player tells you that he wants to take advantage of an opportunity. Daily work makes us stronger.”