Mikel Merino has suggested that he is happy playing alongside any player in the middle of the Newcastle United midfield.
Mikel Merino may only be a Newcastle player on loan, but he is quickly establishing himself as a key man for Rafa Benitez’s men and leaving supporters hoping that he will become a permanent signing for the club in the near future.
And based on his recent comments regarding playing alongside Jonjo Shelvey, it is not difficult to see why Merino is threatening to become the focal point of the Magpies’ side.
There had been questions about whether the 21-year-old would be able to play alongside Shelvey at the heart of the side’s midfield, but the pair answered many of their critics with their display in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the most recent game before the international break.
And Merino has now suggested, in comments reported by the Chronicle, that he is willing to play alongside and adapt to any player that Benitez wants to pair him with in the middle of the park.
“Maybe if you play with a more defensive team-mate you can go a little bit more, maybe if you play with Jonjo you can adapt a little bit and stay a little more.
“Everyone is different but you just have to adapt – it’s easy to play with everyone.”
Merino’s comments show a tremendous amount of maturity for a player so young, especially as they come so soon after his arrival into a new league, as they demonstrate that he is prepared to modify his own game to meet the team’s needs.
His suggestion surely makes him an incredibly valuable player to Benitez as the squad gets stretched and different central-midfield combinations are required, and prove exactly why the Magpies need to have no hesitation in paying the £6.5 million that the Chronicle previously suggested it would cost to make the deal permanent.
Merino is quickly showing signs that he is ready to be Newcastle’s talisman, and the Magpies would be foolish not to give him the chance.
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