Barcelona express interest in Spanish international to solve midfield problems – report

Following the arrival of Hansi Flick, Barcelona appear to have hit momentary brakes in their pursuit of Guido Rodriguez. Not to mention, the club’s agreement with the midfielder expired on May 31.

But instead of trying to secure a new agreement with the Argentine, Barcelona have shifted their sights to other alternatives in the market, including Valencia starlet Javi Guerra.

Barcelona interested in Mikel Merino

However, Guerra and Rodriguez are not the only midfield options Barcelona are targeting at the moment.

According to Gianluigi Longari, the Catalans appear to rate Mikel Merino quite highly, with the Real Sociedad star emerging as one of the potential midfield targets for the club.

Formerly of Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United, Merino has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in Spain, owing to his positioning skills and ability to orchestrate the play in the middle of the park.

Barcelona are interested in Mikel Merino (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

At age 27, Merino has played football in England, Germany and Spain, racking up significant experience at the highest level. He has notably made almost 200 appearances in La Liga and 20 national caps to his name.

Can Barcelona afford Merino?

Merino’s experience, coupled with his technical and leadership abilities make him an appealing target for Barcelona.

Merino joined Real Sociedad for a fee of just €12 million in 2018. But his value has skyrocketed since and the midfielder is more than likely to cost more than €30 million.

There are a few factors which may aid Barcelona, however. Merino’s contract, for one, expires in 2025, meaning if Real Sociedad fail to sell him this summer, they may have to run the risk of seeing the player leave for free next year.

Real Sociedad, therefore, could face pressure to sell their midfielder in the coming summer. Barcelona, to that end, could emerge as a potential destination, although a lot may depend on how much spending La Liga offers to the Catalan outfit this summer.