Aston Villa are in the market for a new midfielder, and according to recent reports, Unai Emery is targeting Real Sociedad and former Newcastle United playmaker Mikel Merino.
That’s according to reports in the Spanish media, which claim Emery has his sights set on bringing the Spanish midfielder back to the Premier League, five years after he departed St James’ Park following a disappointing spell.
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It has been reported that Villa are prepared to spend a whopping £57m on the 26-year-old, but the player is not so keen on the idea of moving to the Midlands. It is understood that Merino is happy in La Liga and does not want to depart Sociedad.
During his spell with the Magpies, Merino, who has two years left on his deal, featured in 25 matches, in all competitions, contributing to just one goal along the way.
Flop? Clearly just looked at goal stats and didn’t see the guy play. Every Newcastle fan was disappointed when he left. He left for personal reason and looked like one of the most promising cms we’ve seen at SJP for years!