When Mikel Merino left Newcastle United in 2018, there were some people confused over why he’d decided to swap the Premier League side for Real Sociedad.
The plan at the time was thought to involve the midfielder impressing for the Basque club and then getting the attention of one of the bigger sides in Spain.
That happened to a degree and there have been links with the biggest clubs in the country, but none of them have really moved forward and gone for the signing. That could give an opportunity to clubs like Aston Villa.
However, Mundo Deportivo say Aston Villa would welcome him, given the chance, and Atletico Madrid are thought to be in the same position.
For now it’s a question of waiting for Unai Emery’s side, and seeing how those renewal talks go in the coming weeks.
