4 years contract agreed: Arsenal have reached the final stage to sign £60m sensational – Edu is now ready to cook this season

When a manager says publicly that they aren’t interested in any player from a certain club, you might think that would stop rumors about them trying to buy someone from that club. But that’s not what happened with Unai Emery and Real Sociedad. Despite Emery, who is the manager of Aston Villa, telling the Spanish media earlier this summer that he isn’t interested in any player from Real Sociedad, rumors are still circulating. This denial was important for Emery because he started his career as a player at Real Sociedad and might manage the club in the future.

Even though Emery made his statement, recent news has linked both Arsenal and Aston Villa with Mikel Merino, a midfielder from Real Sociedad. Merino is becoming more popular because his contract is ending in less than a year. Real Sociedad has offered him a new contract, but it might not be enough to keep him, making it possible for him to be sold.

According to the Basque edition of Mundo Deportivo, Merino might get a very lucrative contract from Arsenal, and there is worry about Arsenal’s interest in him. Aston Villa is also said to be interested in Merino, which makes it seem like Emery might not have been completely honest when he said he wasn’t interested in any player from Real Sociedad.

Right now, it looks more likely that Arsenal will sign Merino than Aston Villa, especially since Aston Villa is busy trying to sign Amadou Onana. Additionally, Barcelona, who are also interested in the Everton player, are reportedly keeping an eye on Merino’s situation.