The Newcastle United loanee looked a class act on his Magpies debut.
At the end of last month Newcastle United signed Mikel Merino on loan from Borussia Dortmund and the 21-year-old looks set to win over his new fans in no time at all.
The Spanish midfielder made his name at Osasuna, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 67 appearances. However a transfer to the Bundesliga did not go according to plan, with Merino failing to make any significant impact at Dortmund, featuring only nine times in all competitions.
While he only played a bit-part role in Germany, he should have no such trouble in England if his debut was anything to go by.
Newcastle’s latest addition came off the bench against Wolfsburg on Wednesday afternoon and showed his class from the outset.
One simply breathtaking first-time pass with the outside of his left foot spoke volumes about both his talent and his confidence, and while it is easy to get carried away after one moment of magic, the youngster oozed quality throughout his cameo.
The Newcastle midfielder will be desperate to make up for lost time after his disappointing campaign on the periphery in the Bundesliga, and his hunger was clear on Wednesday.
The prospect of Merino playing alongside Jonjo Shelvey for Newcastle this season should set Magpies fans’ pulses racing.
It may be a loan move for a lesser known player previously struggling for game time, but not for the first time Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez appears to have struck gold.
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