Newcastle fans fume as Merino close to exit door

Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino is reportedly set to jet in from the United States next Monday to put the finishing touches to a transfer to Real Sociedad – and fans have taken to Twitter to express their anger and dissatisfaction.

The Spanish newspaper AS claim the La Liga club have agreed a £10.5million fee with the Magpies for the 21-year-old and Merino has indicated he will sign the contract he has been offered.

It is said that the Spaniard will put pen to paper on a five-year deal when he returns from vacation in the US and that he will be announced as as a Sociedad player next week.

The major update has not gone down well with a section of Newcastle fans, who hailed Merino as a super signing following the initial impact he made after joining on loan from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

United triggered the £7million option to convert the deal into a permanent one last November but the midfielder lost his place in the starting XI soon afterwards and cut a frustrated figure for the second half of the season.

Supporters are spitting feathers that such an accomplished player is leaving, with comments including “massive shame” and owner Mike “Ashley is a fraud”.

Nothing But Newcastle has rounded up some of the best tweets:

Looks like Mikel Merino is getting closer to leaving #nufc for Sociedad. It's a massive shame.

Hard to forget how good he was at stages of last season and I was encouraged by his future progression under Rafa.

— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) June 20, 2018

Selling gold to buy silver #NUFC transfer window philosophy

— . (@nonsocialsteve) June 20, 2018

Selling to buy despite a full season in the PL. If Ashley isnt pocketing the TV money, I dont know what else is going on at #NUFC

— The Perennial Pundit (@PerennialPundit) June 20, 2018

https://twitter.com/F_Yorkshireman/status/1009507643667435521

https://twitter.com/DanielB00955238/status/1009516096490213376

Remember the delight when the loan was made permanent early. So complete and brilliant at moments last season but never really recovered from that back injury. Will be sad if he does go

— Shola HAMeobi (@hameobi) June 20, 2018