When Spanish rumours rumours first started about Mikel Merino moving to La Liga for a relatively small fee, it didn’t seem to have a lot in it.
Why would Newcastle United let the 22 year old leave the club? There’s little point in signing young and talented players only to let them go for a small profit not so long later.
The answer lay more with the player and it appears it was always his plan to leave the Premier League club as soon as the right opportunity came around.
Several Spanish clubs were interested and Merino and his representatives made sure they got the right deal, including a big contract and a not too unrealistic buyout clause.
Speaking to Marca, Merino has told the Spanish newspaper his future aims and part of the motivation behind his move from Newcastle United to Real Sociedad: “I am ambitious, I want to improve, grow and be an important player for Real and in La Liga. The selection (Spanish national team)? Of course it is an objective that i have marked out for the future and it would be a pride.”
On specifically choosing the Basque club over other options, Merino explained: “There were several (offers), yes, which flattered me, but I spoke to my representative and my family and we thought that Real was the ideal team to come back to.”
Newcastle United fans will now be expecting a replacement in the squad, and hopefully one of the same potential.
