In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Barcelona have a concrete interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino this summer. It has been mentioned that the Catalan club are eyeing a move for the Spanish talent in this transfer window.
Merino’s Impressive Form In La Liga
The 27-year-old managed to put in a series of impressive displays at the centre of Sociedad’s midfield in the recently concluded La Liga campaign. Merino scored eight times and picked up five assists in 45 appearances for the Spanish club last season on all fronts.
The Pamplona-born midfield ace has been a good performer on both halves as he is averaging 2.4 shots, 0.5 interceptions, 1.7 clearances, 0.9 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from midfield after completing 77.5% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Spanish club will run out at the end of next season which could open the door for Barca to snap him up on the cheap this summer.
What Will Merino Bring To Barcelona?
Merino is a solid tackler of the ball and can read the danger to secure the ball back for his side in the middle of the park. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is a good passer of the ball.
The Spain international can even make a few driving runs with the ball from midfield and can create the odd chance for his teammates in the final third. He is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also fill in as a defensive midfielder if asked to do so.
We can expect Merino to bring more quality and depth to Barca head coach Hansi Flick’s midfield department. He is more than capable of earning a regular starting spot at the Nou Camp next season.
At 27, Merino is about to enter his prime and will also go into the final year of his Real Sociedad contract soon. Hence, he is a worthy target for the Catalan club to pursue ahead of the new campaign. Merino already knows La Liga well by now and won’t take much time to settle into life at Barcelona.
