Real Sociedad manager sends defiant message to Arsenal over Mikel Merino transfer

Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil insists Mikel Merino ‘still belongs’ to the club and will be ‘with the team to the death’, despite rumours linking the midfielder with Arsenal.

Reports emanating out of Spain on Friday indicated that Arsenal and Sociedad had agreed a deal in principle worth in the region of £30million for Merino, with the Gunners desperate to wrap up the signing before the transfer deadline.

Riccardo Calafiori remains Arsenal’s only new recruit of the summer – after David Raya signed on a permanent basis from Brentford – and Merino has been identified as the club’s primary target in midfield.

Merino was subsequently omitted from Sociedad’s matchday squad for the side’s 2-1 defeat at home to Real Vallecano on Sunday, further fuelling speculation that a switch to the Emirates could be imminent.

At his pre-match press conference on the eve of the clash, Alguacil confirmed that Merino was fit and available but that ‘open negotiations’ with Arsenal were in the works.

Alguacil was again pressed for an update on the situation of both Merino and Martin Zubimendi prior to Sociedad’s loss and the Spaniard was unequivocal with his response.

‘Both are here, one is not on the list and the other is in the squad,’ the Sociedad head coach told Spanish media.

Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil

Alguacil says the Spain midfielder ‘still belongs’ to Real Sociedad (Picture: Getty)

‘They still belong to Real and both are going to be with the team to the death.

‘Nothing changes, I said it yesterday.

‘Those of us who are here will go all out to win the game. And then we’ll see who is there for the next one.’

Alguacil said he simply had to press ahead with ‘what we have’ while the transfer market remained active.

‘As long as it’s open, we’re all waiting, but that’s part of football,’ he added.

‘I take it as it comes. I prepare for the matches with what we have.’

Mikel Arteta refused to be drawn on speculation linking Arsenal with Merino ahead of his side’s win over Wolves.

‘You know that I cannot talk about any other players,’ Arteta replied when quizzed about a deal for the Spain international.

Pressed more generally about the club’s transfer strategy, the Spaniard added: ‘Before the season we had two objectives.

The main one was to make sure that we are very much in love with our players and find ways to improve them because that’s the main thing.

‘Then okay if there are still certain opportunities in the market to improve the squad we have to look at that, that’s what we are trying to do.’