Real Sociedad is going all out to negotiate a contract extension with central midfielder Merino, viewing him as an integral and important member of the team, even surpassing Lenormand, who is also in the midst of transfer rumors, according to a report by Diario del País Vasco. Merino is satisfied with Real Sociedad's performance at the competitive level, but has reservations about the salary portion of the contract extension, believing that his value should be rewarded with a higher salary.
In order to keep the key player, Real Sociedad have taken positive action and decided to modify the original offer package. The original contract included both a fixed salary and a bonus component, but now the club is willing to convert all the bonus component directly into a fixed salary, and promises to give Merino a higher salary than Oyazabal, who is currently the top-paid player in the team. This move shows Real Sociedad's high regard and sincerity for Merino.
However, Real Sociedad is also prepared to face reality if Merino still believes that the salary level fails to meet his expectations after receiving a new offer. It is reported that if the contract extension talks finally break down, Real Sociedad will consider selling Merino this summer in order to avoid greater losses caused by his free departure after the expiration of his contract.
In the transfer market, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea and many other giants have shown strong interest in Merino. But according to reports, Merino himself is not interested in joining Atletico Madrid, while Barcelona is difficult to bear the high transfer fee due to financial pressure. Therefore, if Merino leaves Real Sociedad, going to the Premier League has become a more likely choice. Premier League teams not only have the financial strength to pay the high transfer fee that Real Sociedad expects, but also to meet Merino's demand for a high salary.
