Newcastle United have signed Mikel Merino on loan from Borussia Dortmund, and there is an agreement in place to enable the move to be made permanent.
According to a report from the Chronicle, Newcastle will be able to make Mikel Merino’s loan move from Borussia Dortmund a permanent deal if he plays 20 games for the Magpies.
Merino became Rafa Benitez’s fifth signing of the summer, initially arriving on a season-long loan from the Bundesliga giants. However, despite his potential, it appears that he may well have already played his final game for Dortmund.
The Chronicle reports that one of the terms that was included as part of the loan deal – which has cost Newcastle £2.7 million – involves the move becoming permanent for a fee of £6.5 million if the 21-year-old features 20 times.
The Chronicle adds that with Benitez looking to use his transfer budget as wisely as possible, it is likely that while Merino was brought in on loan initially, the intention has always been to sign him permanently and the terms of the deal are just a way to ensure that Benitez has the best chance of making more of the changes he hopes to make before the deadline comes and goes.
With Benitez seemingly determined to bring Merino in permanently, it would certainly appear that the youngster is set to feature regularly in the middle of the park for the Magpies to ensure that he activates the £6.5 million clause.
But while the youngster is highly-rated and appears to have a bright future ahead of him, the terms of the deal may also be beneficial for Newcastle if he struggles to adapt to the Premier League.
However, it appears that Benitez has every confidence that Merino will shine during his time at St James’ Park, and his spell will last longer than one season.
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