Newcastle are reportedly willing to allow Mikel Merino to leave the club this summer, with La Liga side Athletic Bilbao monitoring the situation.
Merino joined the Magpies on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund last summer and got off to a flying start at St James’ Park. His early-season form earned him a permanent move to Newcastle, with Rafa Benitez’s side accelerating their negotiations with Dortmund to land Merino.
However, he has fallen out of favour in recent times as a result of some injury problems, along with the resurgence of Jonjo Shelvey in the Newcastle midfield.
Merino remains a fans’ favourite in Newcastle but if Spanish news outlet AS are to be believed, the Magpies will be open to offers upwards of €15m this summer.
The news comes as something of a surprise given Merino’s undoubted quality.. At just 21, surely the best is yet to come from the Spaniard, and Newcastle will not want to leave this potential untapped.
