New report links popular midfielder with £25m Newcastle United return - We are unconvinced
Newcastle United's name has been brought up in a recent transfer story regarding a former player who never really got a fair shake the last time he was at St James' Park.
All the talk at the moment is that Arsenal are looking to sign Real Sociedad's Euro 2024 winner Mikel Merino in a £25million deal, however, Caught Offside believes that Newcastle may be interested in a reunion.
Merino had a brief but memorable spell on Tyneside originally arriving on loan from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 before the Magpies quickly made it a permanent move by handing him a five-year deal.
It wasn't long though, before Merino got homesick and a return to Spain was soon on the cards following an injury-hit campaign with the Magpies that saw Merino laid up with a back injury and only able to add 17 Premier League appearances to the seven he had racked up while on loan.
Newcastle fans would welcome the return of Merino
Newcastle fans had quickly fallen in love with Merino, however, and when his move to Real Sociedad came about less than a year after signing, the Toon Army were understandably devastated having spotted his potential in his handful of appearances.
Since leaving Newcastle, Merino has remained at Sociedad, playing alongside Alexander Isak before his £63million move to Newcastle, and is now a regular member of the Spanish national side, helping them to lift the European Championship trophy at the expense of England just a couple of weeks ago.
This summer Merino has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Arsenal seemingly his likely destination, not that Newcastle fans would object to seeing him return to St James' Park.
The report seems like a logic leap at best
Newcastle's name had been mentioned earlier in the summer but it felt like more of a throwaway idea, much like this latest claim from Caught Offside.
"That price would of course interest Newcastle and it’s likely supporters would be open to seeing their former player return, but unfortunately the reality would appear very different."
That just feels like a logic leap based on nothing but the fact that us fans liked him when he was here in 2017. The report goes on to say Newcastle "could" be looking for a new midfielder after losing Elliot Anderson, but really, it's still not a position that needs addressing with any real urgency.
It feels like a non-starter this one, and all signs point towards an Arsenal move anyway.
