Newcastle is definitely building up steam in the transfer market, and we signed our 3rd player in nine days today when the club announced the season loan signing of 21-year-old holding midfielder Mikel Merino.
Merino is Spanish and seems delighted to be playing for one of that country’s world-class managers – Rafa Benitez.
This makes five signings so far, and at the beginning of the summer Rafa wanted eight first team players, and that now seems possible with some big money signings likely to be arriving at the club from now on.
21-year-old Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino
This is what the club put out about two hours ago on their website:
Newcastle United can confirm the signing of Spanish under-21 international Mikel Merino on a season-long loan deal from Borussia Dortmund.
After the arrivals of Jacob Murphy and Javier Manquillo last week, midfielder Merino becomes the fifth player to join the Magpies this summer.
Born in Pamplona, he made more than 60 appearances for hometown club Osasuna before moving to Dortmund at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
He featured nine times for die Schwarzgelben last term, and also figured for Spain at June’s European Under-21 Championship in Poland, where Albert Celades’ side were runners-up.
Merino said this after signing:
“It feels good and I’m very happy to be here, to be part of this club. I’m looking forward to touching the ball, meeting my new team-mates and starting to play football.
“I know it’s a great club and a really nice city. I had different options but I think this is the right place for me to play.”
This is what manager Rafa Benitez said about his fifth signing this summer:
“Mikel is a midfielder with talent, an under-21 international for Spain. He’s a good size, has quality on the ball and he’s very, very focused and professional.”
“Hopefully he’s the kind of player we can improve a lot – he certainly has the mentality to get better and better.”
“He comes from a top side in Dortmund and although he did not play too much last season, he was signed as a young, talented player and to be signed by a club like that shows that he has something good.”
“He has to show what he has, and hopefully he can enjoy playing here for a long time.”
We think Mikel will be a good player for Newcastle – we hope Mikel will be a good player for us.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
7 comments so far
gonufc (Newcastle United Sports Direct Advertising Club)
Jul 28, 2017 at 3:34 PM
Comment #1Does Merino definitely have a clause to buy him permanently? Because two reports I’ve read haven’t mentioned anything about it.
manxpie
Jul 28, 2017 at 3:35 PM
Comment #2Great to get this fella in I hope rafa can work his magic on him
Also people are forgetting the 6 mill from spurs every window so we are actually +2.5 mill
I reckon we could get perchinio back for that if we’re lucky!
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Jul 28, 2017 at 3:36 PM
Comment #3Watch him and Hayden become our Alonso and Mascherano !!
Looks a quality young player just the type that we should be signing just hope we can get a little bit more experience as well
manxpie
Jul 28, 2017 at 3:36 PM
Comment #4Yeah an obligation to buy after a certain amount of games from the Bvb release
firebug666
Jul 28, 2017 at 3:46 PM
Comment #5gonufc #1
I’ve read a few reports mainly from Germany that say there is an obligation to buy clause after he has played so many games.
And if you look at this quote from Rafa “He has to show what he has, and hopefully he can enjoy playing here for a long time.” It seems he will be here for a while.
gonufc (Newcastle United Sports Direct Advertising Club)
Jul 28, 2017 at 3:50 PM
Comment #6Yeah, that’s what I thought. Look forward to seeing him now.
voodoo85
Jul 28, 2017 at 4:32 PM
Comment #7From the BVB website:
“Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mikel Merino, 21, is set to complete a loan switch to newly-promoted Premier League outfit Newcastle United. A binding purchase option was agreed with the English club for the event that the player features in a certain number of competitive matches.”