Report: 'World class' player who wants to join Arsenal has just been offered big money contract offer to stay

Arsenal are now just one week away from opening their 2024/25 campaign and they have only been able to sign one new player.

Mikel Arteta will be delighted to have secured the services of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna this summer but he may have hoped for more.

It was never a case of Arsenal needing to completely revamp their squad this summer considering they only finished two points off Manchester City.

But any signings made now will be arriving with – at best – just under a week before the new campaign starts.

This makes their hopes of playing from the start of the new season incredibly unlikely considering they will have missed essentially a full pre-season with their potential new side.

And Arsenal’s hopes of landing their top target may have just taken a big blow with a new contract on the table for him.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre on August 09, 2024 in London Colney, England.

Arsenal target offered to become club’s highest earner

It has not been the easiest of windows for the top Premier League clubs to operate in with Liverpool yet to even sign a single player.

Perhaps the two major international tournaments played their role in delaying deals but there are still around three weeks for clubs to get some signings in.

One player who doesn’t look like he will be moving to north London is Victor Osimhen with Arsenal withdrawing from the race for the striker.

And now there may be some fears that Arsenal are going to miss out on another of their targets after he has been offered a huge new deal.

According to Spanish journalist Mikel Recalde, Real Sociedad are now offering Mikel Merino a new bumper deal which would see him become the club’s highest earner.

It is felt this is a last gasp attempt from Sociedad to keep the Spain international who has admitted he wants to join Arsenal this summer.

For what it’s worth, Liverpool target Martin Zubimendi has also been offered the same deal to become the club’s top earner.

However, there is already a feeling that this may have come too late with Merino’s mind seemingly already made up.

Sociedad’s president Jokin Aperribay has now returned from holiday to undertake the ‘crisis cabinet’ in trying to retain Merino.

However, the player has already told Aperribay of his desire to make the move to the Premier League with the Gunners.

The prospect of becoming Sociedad’s highest-paid player may not even prove that tempting considering Mikel Oyarzabal is their current top earner on a reported £60k-per-week.