Newcastle expected to wrap up signing from Euro giants in the next 24 hours – report
By Harvey Byrne
Newcastle are “expected” to wrap up the signing of Borussia Dortmund midfield enforcer Mikel Merino in the “next 24 hours”, according to a report.
The Mirror have claimed in their live transfer blog (Thursday, 11.01am) that the Magpies will secure their fifth summer signing in the coming hours.
The report follows on from manager Rafa Benitez revealing that the move for the 21-year-old midfield enforcer was “close”.
Merino made the switch to Dortmund in February 2016, agreeing a five-year deal with the European giants.
He had previously played for Osasuna in the Spanish second division and was a standout star in the team, playing 67 times in total for the club at a young age.
However, following his move to Dortmund he has been restricted to just nine first team appearances in total.
Sky Sports have also reported that Merino’s move is set to be an initial loan move with an option to buy in the future.
Football Insider verdict:
Dortmund are known for scouring Europe for it’s brightest talents and Merino must have shown something at Osasuna to earn the move in the first place. Working with his countryman in Rafa Benitez may also be of great help to the young Spaniard in his development and Newcastle could be picking up a gem in Merino. A loan-to-buy deal is also the best for Newcastle as they can get a good look at the young defensive midfielder before deciding whether he is good enough to sign permanently. Merino is also likely to push Jack Colback further down the Magpies’ central midfield pecking order, which can only be a good thing for the north east giants in the Premier League.
In other Newcastle transfer news, the Magpies could be involved in a swap deal for this Spaniard.
We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Newcastle breaking news.