Arsenal given €25m green light for Newcastle United’s ‘one that got away’ - bargain of the summer

Arsenal have opened talks over a potential move for former Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino, according to reports.

Real Sociedad have a £52million release clause in the Spaniard’s contract but know they cannot demand that figure given his contract situation. Merino - who bagged a dramatic 119th-minute winner in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals - has one year remaining in Pamplona.

His father, Angel, confirmed his son’s future would not be decided until after the tournament. But various reports claim Arsenal hope to begin negotiations before this weekend’s final against England.

The Gunners came agonisingly close to the Premier League title in May and believe they can land Merino for a cut-price €25million - a move that will sting Newcastle fans. Toon supporters watched a then-21-year-old look like a future superstar before a back injury halted his progress. 

By the time Merino returned, Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden, the Championship-winning duo, were settled in midfield and the Magpies were coasting towards a 10th-placed finish. The Spain international desired a move back home and, after just 25 appearances, he left Newcastle.

Rafa Benitez, who brought him to Tyneside from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, opened up about Merino’s gut-wrenching exit last month. He told AS: “We convinced him (Merino) to come (with a low release clause). From the beginning, we knew that his time at Newcastle was going to be fleeting.

“The idea was that he would bring us quality and convince him to stay with us longer but, due to his quality and being Basque, he was a player that was impossible to retain.”