Mikel Merino is still a Real Sociedad player. This Monday, August 5, four of the five players who were crowned Euro 2024 champions with Spain returned to Zubieta. The only exception was Robin Le Normand, who is already at Atlético de Madrid after his transfer.
Many expected Merino to be another of those absent from the preseason with Real, because many teams, such as FC Barcelona, were interested in acquiring his services. But while his future is being resolved, he returned normally to the training dynamics of his club, under the orders of Imaol Alguacil. It is expected that he and the new arrivals Oyarzabal, Zubimendi and Remiro will do the same work and, at the moment, they are doubtful for Friday's friendly against Unión Berlin.
The midfielder did everything possible to approach the Barça board to find out their intentions, as they had him as a favourite given the impossibility of signing players such as Joshua Kimmich or Martín Zubimendi. However, the club ruled out the option to put all its attention on the signing of Dani Olmo, who is their top priority for the 2024/25 season. The Pamplona native wants to resolve his future as soon as possible, so both parties decided that it was best to go their separate ways.
Merino could go to play in the Premier League
Right now, the player is not ruling out any option. The footballer remains firm in his desire to leave San Sebastián this summer, so his entourage spoke with Atlético de Madrid. But there would be a Premier League club that is very interested. We are talking about Arsenal, who would have his signing within reach by making a better economic offer to Real, which demands around 30 million euros between fixed and variable for the sale of the footballer whose contract ends next summer. Therefore, everything seems to indicate that London will be his destination for the next campaign.