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Manchester United have been linked to Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino due to the ongoing uncertainty over his new contract.
The former Newcastle midfielder has been a crucial cog in the Basque machine this year as he has played 36 times this season for the side from the Anoeta.
In all competitions, the midfielder has found the back of the net six times and has five assists to his name.
The 27 year old’s consistent play over the last few seasons has resulted in him becoming a regular for the Spanish national side, picking up eight caps in the last calendar year and he will expect to form a key part of La Furia Roja’s Euro 2024 assault this summer.
In fact, his performances have been so impressive that it has led to Sociedad manager, Imanol Alguacil, calling the 27-year-old “the best player in La Liga” back in September and October 2021. While this claim is optimistic to say the least, it highlights how well thought of he is in San Sebastian.
Spanish radio station COPE have linked the player to a move away from Donostia and United are certainly an interested party, as they aim to strengthen their central midfield, which has often been held together by 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo this season.
COPE claim that “uncertainty surrounds Mikel Merino’s future at Real Sociedad as negotiations for his contract renewal have reached a stalemate”.
It is thought the player does not want to commit his future until there is clarity on the Basque team’s future in Europe. The Txuri-urdin were knocked out of the Champions League last week by Paris Saint-Germain and sit in sixth place in the league, only one point ahead of Real Betis. It is a major possibility that they won’t play in Europe next season and this is weighing on Merino’s mind.
“According to sources close to Deportes COPE Gipuzkoa, the player’s representation company has decided not to activate a definitive response until the European place is guaranteed for next season”.
Even then, this may not secure his future at the Anoeta as his brilliant form has attracted some of Europe’s giants.
“Mikel Merino, known for his masterful work in recovering balls, has piqued the interest of several European giants. Clubs such as Manchester City, Juventus, Atlético de Madrid and Manchester United closely follow his performances as well as those of Martín Zubimendi, Take Kubo and Le Normand. This attention has not gone unnoticed by the club, which has noticed how these teams have formalised their presence in matches at the Anoeta”.
The radio station goes on to claim that while the midfielder has a release clause of €60m, Real Sociedad worry that his eventual price could be significantly lower due to the player’s current deal expiring in the summer of 2025.
Another interesting layer to the story is “Merino is aware that his permanence in the Spanish national team squad depends largely on continuing to participate in European competitions. This factor could also be influencing his decision to renew his contract with the Basque club”.
Therefore, the Red Devils and many other European teams will be watching la Liga table with great interest over the coming weeks to see where exactly Real Sociedad end up. Only then will they know how viable a move is for the sought-after Merino. On the other hand, if it is European football he is seeking, United themselves have their work cut out to be able to offer that next season.
From United’s perspective, they could certainly do with a ball-winning midfielder who can run and press effectively since the loss of Fred last summer. Moreover, Casemiro’s performance on Saturday against Everton was another worrying indicator that the player is not cut out for top level football any more as he was incredibly careless with the ball and offered little protection to the defence as lowly Everton generated 23 shots on the United goal.
Soccer2day 