Newcastle United are hoping to complete a loan deal for Mikel Merino by the weekend.
According to a report in The Sun the Borussia Dortmund midfielder is close to completing a season long loan deal to St James Park.
Merino moved to Dortmund last season from Osasuna but struggled to make an impact in the Bundesliga despite being a member of Spain’s u-19 European Championship winning side in 2015.
Rafa Benitez has been alerted to the situation with talks with the player and club at an advanced stage.
A permanent move has been discussed but it seems that a compromise is likely with Newcastle agreeing to convert the loan to a permanent transfer if certain appearance thresholds are reached.
Merino has left Dortmund’s pre-season training camp in Switzerland to discuss the move with Newcastle hoping to get the deal over the line giving the 21 year old a fortnight to prepare for the Premier League opener at home to Spurs.
