The Director of Football of the Real Sociedad, Roberto Olabe, recognised this week that have transmitted him to Mikel Merino that want that it was still in the club and that it is a priority of face to the future. However, the footballer seems that it moves away increasingly of San Sebastián, especially now that the FC Barcelona seems to have decided that the mediocampista has to be one of the main alternatives for the market of summer.
Like this it signals it 'Sport', aiming that in spite of not being a pivote 100% natural, as yes that it is his mate Martín Zubimendi, Merino likes a lot in the Barcelona club and thinks that his profile fits in the type of football of Hansi Flick. The navarro is considered in Can Barça like a midfield player that can exert many of the functions that the team needs, especially if the míster opts finally for giving priority to a double pivote, a role in which Mikel could exert all his game.
The Barça believes firmly that Mikel merino can reinforce his centre of the field
During his stage in the Real, which already adds 242 parties, has showed his capacity of arrival from second line and a very complete defence. Besides, Merino contributes a physicist of almost 1,90 metres that does not be used to to have the Barça in his midfield, and that also would be part of the reasons by which has won integers in the last weeks to be the main signing of the group culé for his midfield.
With agreement until 2025, the footballer of 27 years yes that has experience being only pivote in a team, as it showed in Osasuna and Newcastle in the start of his career, adding some 100 parties between both clubs, but the reality is that his past and present in the Real have him with a function more than interior. The characteristics showed by Merino in LaLiga situate him nearer to a Frenkie of Jong or a Gündogan that to Zubimendi or Joshua Kimmich, two options of mediocentro much more 'classical'.
But unlike his mate in the Basque team, the Real himself that is 'forced' to negotiate by Mikel Merino this summer, something similar to what sucede with Kimmich and the Bayern. Without conversations advanced for his renewal, in Anoeta can not risk to see him go out free in a year, and to be able to negotiate a new agreement in six months, by what his 50 million value of market could have a considerable discount if finally the Barça begins to move index card, something that clearly sucedería when the club can return in the weeks to come to the rule of the 1/1.