'Bring him home': Newcastle fans online want return of popular player who could move this summer

Newcastle United have seen their fair share of players come and go, a lot of whom arrive and depart with little fanfare but there are the odd players who capture the hearts of the Geordie nation in the shortest of spells at the club.

Spanish international Mikel Merino definitely falls into the latter category after initially arriving at Newcastle from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 on loan before making the move permanent thanks to an obligation in the deal that was triggered after a certain number of appearances.

Despite being hit with a back injury, Merino went on to make 25 appearances in total, scoring once and providing one assist before moving on the following summer, heading back to his native Spain with Real Sociedad where he has remained ever since.

Despite his brief tenure at the club, Newcastle fans spotted that we had a real player on our hands and were looking forward to watching him develop in the black and white.

Mikel Merino asked to leave Newcastle due to feeling homesick

The then 21-year-old midfielder requested to leave the club citing feeling homesick as his main reason, and so it was that Newcastle saw a fantastic young player slip through their grasp.

Merino has gone on to be a huge success at Sociedad where he's played 234 games for the club, scoring 34 goals and providing 30 assists. He also played alongside Newcastle striker Alexander Isak before his £63million move to Tyneside.

Now, however, it seems that the 27-year-old is looking for his next challenge and could leave Spanish club in the summer with interest from Juventus and unnamed Premier League sides.

We all want the Merino-Isak reunion

Upon seeing the post on X last night, many fans said the same thing - "Bring him home".

Six years after he left the Magpies, the Toon Army would welcome his return with open arms, and with his contract expiring at Real Sociedad, he could be available at a decent price with the club preferring to cash in this year rather than lose him for nothing next summer.

We'd absolutely love to see the return of Merino and see him link up with Isak again. Now that he's at his peak we'd be getting the absolute best out of him and he can continue the legacy that was cut short back in the days of Rafa Benitez's reign.