The backroom staff at Newcastle United are gearing up to be without first team star Mikel Merino when pre-season training kicks off on Monday (2nd July) as he edges closer to the exit door, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim that the Spanish midfielder is to be a surprise absentee when the rest of the squad return to action, with a call from Spain indicating that he is ready to end his time on Tyneside after just a year with the club.
The young talent arrived at St James’ Park from Borussia Dortmund, with a loan deal quickly turned into a permanent move, but his lack of playing time during the second half of the season is said to have resulted him in seeking an exit, with manager Rafael Benitez perhaps having seen the last of his first team star.
Opinion
It does not reflect well on Merino that he is cutting his time at Newcastle short, and it is perhaps for the best that the Magpies are able to get rid of him if that is his attitude. He is not even giving Benitez the chance to give him time in pre-season to prove what he can bring to the team, and his impatience for first team action is not the sort of mindset that the Spanish boss is looking for from his players. A talented midfielder, he certainly seemed to have the physical ability to be a success, but the mental side of his game seems to be a weakness, and that is not something that the Magpies can afford. It looks as though it could well be a case of what might have been for Merino, and there will be a few disappointed faces among the Toon Army as he edges ever closer to a premature exit from Tyneside.