Arsenal face Premier League rivals Manchester United in their next pre-season friendly on Sunday.
The Gunners beat Bournemouth 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in their last pre-season game, but the match against the Red Devils will arguably pose a tougher challenge for Mikel Arteta’s side.
The North London outfit have finished second in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons, and Arteta will be desperate to ensure his side once again challenge for the title this term.
In the meantime, it appears that the Gunners are set to make initial contact over one of their top transfer targets.
As per journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are set to make initial contact with Real Sociedad over a move for midfielder Mikel Merino.
It is claimed that the Gunners have already made contact with the 28-year-old’s representatives, but Arsenal are now set to make contact with clubs as they search for a new central midfielder.
Merino is a target for Arsenal this summer
Merino joined Sociedad from Premier League side Newcastle United back in 2018 and has since made 242 appearances for the Spanish side across all competitions, scoring 27 goals and providing 30 assists.
The midfielder made a significant contribution for Spain as they won the European Championship this summer, scoring an extra-time winner against Germany in the quarter-finals.
The Spaniard has less than a year remaining on his current contract with Sociedad, meaning he could sign a pre-contract agreement with any club outside of Spain in January before leaving the club as a free agent next summer.
The La Liga side could therefore choose to cash in on Merino during the current window, as opposed to losing him for free in 12 months.