Real Sociedad did not include a player who is being monitored by Arsenal

Today, it was reported that Arsenal continues to show interest in Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino.

The Gunners had previously made an offer to the Spanish club, but after being rejected, they decided to increase the bid.

It seems this approach has caught the attention of Sociedad's representatives, as Merino has been left out of the squad for their first La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano.

Commenting on the decision, Real Sociedad's head coach Imanol Alguacil hinted at the player's potential transfer:

"I excluded Merino from the squad because negotiations with other clubs are ongoing. Right now, this is the best decision," said Alguacil, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

Arsenal's new offer for Merino is expected to be around £30 million. This amount is nearly half of his valuation on the statistical portal Transfermarkt, but the player's contract duration is a key factor. Merino's deal with Sociedad runs until next year, and to avoid losing him for free, the club might agree to Arsenal's offer.

In addition to Merino, Real Sociedad could also lose Martín Zubimendi, who has drawn interest from Liverpool. However, as previously reported, the club set an unusual condition for Zubimendi if he wished to join Liverpool. Following this, the midfielder is believed to have turned down the Merseyside club.