OPINION
Newcastle United have completed the signing of South Korea international Ki Sung-yueng – and it’s an absolute masterstroke by manager Rafa Benitez.
The Magpies announced via their official Twitter account on Friday that Ki, 29, has joined them on a free transfer after his deal expired at Swansea.
?? Welcome to Newcastle United, Ki Sung-yueng!
Full story: https://t.co/RgflhwnUuJ #NUFC pic.twitter.com/mefpKJC4i0
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) June 29, 2018
It’s a brilliant bit of business by Newcastle to sign an experienced Premier League and international operator who can do a very solid job in the deeper-lying midfield position.
He had made 166 Premier League appearances for Swansea and the danger he poses from set-pieces can be a very handy weapon when it comes to breaking down hard-to-beat teams.
Ki is also an experienced winner having won the Scottish title during his spell at Celtic and has shown great leadership skills by captaining his nation at the World Cup this summer where they beat reigning champions Germany 2-0 even though they had nothing to play for.
However his arrival surely offers a huge sign that fan favourite Mikel Merino is on his way out of St James’ Park just a year after he arrived on Tyneside from Borussia Dortmund.
Reliable Spanish journalist Kike Marin claimed via his personal Twitter account earlier this week that Merino, 22, has agreed to sign for La Liga club Real Sociedad this summer.
The midfielder was an instant hit at Newcastle after arriving on loan from Dortmund and it was not long before the option-to-buy clause was triggered by Benitez, who was clearly a massive fan of his fellow Spaniard.
However Merino soon dropped down the pecking order and barely started in the Premier League after January.
Ki’s arrival is surely the final nail in the coffin for Merino and we can expect to finally see the 22-year-old leave St James’ Park in the coming weeks.