Fichajes has recently reported that Barcelona are eyeing a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino. It is believed that Barca boss Xavi has not lost sight of the Spanish midfield ace and could move in for him next year.
Merino’s Recent Form In Spanish Football
Merino is enjoying a decent campaign in Spanish football after putting in a handful of eye-catching displays at the heart of Sociedad’s midfield. The 25-year-old has found the back of the net on three occasions and grabbed two assists in 20 matches for the Spanish club this season in all competitions.
The Pamplona-born sensation has caught the eye by averaging 2.1 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 1.6 clearances, 1.3 shots, 0.9 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga.
He has even interchanged possession with his teammates quite well after making 78.8% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Merino Bring To Barcelona?
Merino loves a tackle in midfield and can make life difficult for the opposition. He can even read the danger quickly and doesn’t mind clearing the danger when required.
More importantly, the Spanish sensation is a decent passer of the ball and can engineer a few promising chances for his teammates in the attacking end of the field. He has even scored some important goals for Real Sociedad this season.
We can expect Merino to bring some energy and physicality to Barca‘s midfield. Standing at 1.89m, he can use his strong frame to dominate the midfield battle which is something that Xavi is in dire need of at the Nou Camp. The Spanish playmaker could form a solid midfield partnership with Frenkie De Jong and could serve as a good successor to Sergio Busquets who is in the last legs of his playing career.
Therefore, the Catalan giants should think about trying everything they can to orchestrate a move to secure Merino’s services in January or at the end of this campaign as he could help them challenge for top honours once again over the next few years.
