OPINION
Newcastle United must not facilitate the sale of Mikel Merino until a suitable replacement has been found in his place.
The Newcastle Chronicle reports that Real Betis, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad are all interested in the midfielder, but Newcastle must force them to wait until Rafa Benitez has assessed his squad options.
Merino is likely to attract bids of around £10million, and that would probably be enough to prize the Spanish under-21 star from the Tyneside, which could leave Benitez with money as a profit for future transfers.
Merino himself is thought to be open to the move away, understanding that he is lower down the pecking order at St James Park, and the desire to move home to Spain is always big.
Yet this must not influence the powers that be into a quick sale, as the Magpies could be left short in the midfield ranks with little time or money to find a replacement.
It was reported earlier that Jack Colback could also be on his way out of St James Park, which leaves Benitez’s squad even thinner.
This could become crucial, and although Merino is not thought to be within the long-term plan at Newcastle, he is a viable squad rotation player.
If Newcastle are unable to find themselves a replacement then Merino must not be sold, as the vast number of games that Premier League players are set to play including cup competitions can take their toll.
It is thought that Benitez does not have a massive budget with which to bring in new talent, so that could be hindering the search for a midfield presence.