Newcastle United have reportedly completed their fifth signing of the season in Bundesliga midfielder Mikel Merino as the start of the season comes closer. The 19-year-old Spaniard hasn’t been impressive for the Borussia Dortmund last season which led the side to try him in England on a season long loan deal with an option to buy at the end.
Clearly, the Spanish Under-21 wasn’t among the priority targets for Rafael Benitez and it indicates how difficult getting players have been for the newly promoted Premier League clubs. And the arrival of Merino, who failed to make any impression last season, only cements the fact that Newcastle have pressed the panic button with just two weeks to go for the Premier League to start.
He isn’t expected to start for sure with the likes of Jack Colback, Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden already established in that position, but Benitez is known to bring out the best from the most average of players and Merino would expect to have a fruitful season this time.
Newcastle had a more or less smooth season last campaign with no other side posing a challenge except Brighton & Hove Albion, which made it even more difficult for Benitez to gauge their potential ahead of next season. But, his squad’s inexperience at the top level has been a concern for the boss, who has previously managed Liverpool and Chelsea and knows the level on which players perform.
Merino was a huge star at Osasuna before coming to Dortmund last season. In their 2015-16 campaign, Merino played a significant part in helping them finish sixth in La Liga2 and before gaining promotion via playoffs where he had bagged three goals.
However, since his £3.19 million move to Germany, he has failed to adapt to the game fast. As a result, Thomas Tuchel could hand him only eight games in the league and one in the DFB-Pokal Cup. However, he could manage neither goals nor assists in those chances.
After signing for the Magpies, the player said, “It feels good and I’m very happy to be here, to be part of this club. I’m looking forward to touching the ball, meeting my new team-mates and starting to play football. I know it’s a great club and a really nice city. I had different options but I think this is the right place for me to play.”
Merino remains an exciting option nonetheless for the Mags and Benitez is expected to know the strengths of his countryman better than anybody. In a season where Newcastle have seen things hardly going their way, Merino could be a good signing.
