North-East reporter reveals Mikel Merino’s release clause at NUFC – Very strange

According to the Chronicle’s Chris Waugh, Newcastle will be unable to stop Mikel Merino from leaving the club this summer if someone pays his release clause – which is believed to be £13m.

ESPN claimed earlier today that the clause was £10.5m, however the Chronicle have since revealed that it could be £13m – which seems to me like a real bargain for a player of his age, ability and potential, making us wonder just why we’d agree to this.

They claim that the midfielder and his representatives ‘insisted’ that this release clause was put into his contract when he made his loan move permanent last year, meaning we won’t be able to stop him leaving if a club matched the set price.

Here’s a snippet from Chris Waugh’s latest piece:

It is understood that Merino’s representatives insisted such a clause was inserted into the £8million deal which brought the midfielder to Tyneside from Borussia Dortmund last summer, given that Newcastle themselves had the option to sign the 22-year-old on a permanent basis.

ESPN reports that the clause is “set at around €12m” – which is roughly £10.5m. Although that figure has not been confirmed, it is understood that such a clause does exist – and could be as much as €15m (£13.2m).

Real Sociedad have yet to trigger that clause in the Spain Under-21 international’s contract so far but, if they do and Merino wants to go, Newcastle will have no option but to allow him to depart, even though Rafa Benitez would ideally like to keep the midfielder.

It was reported this morning that Real Sociedad were ‘close’ to signing him and ‘confident’ that they could have him in by the end of the week and it’s easy to see why with such an affordable release clause.

I question why we’d allow such a modest release clause to be inserted into his contract (I’d argue that he’s worth a lot more in this day and age), however I also question why he and his camp were so insistent on him having an escape route out of a club he’d only just signed for.

He had a release clause at Dortmund and he left soon after he signed, he has one here at Newcastle (and looks almost certain to leave) and it’s also been reported in Spain that he’ll ask for a clause to be inserted in his contract at Real Sociedad.

He’s a talented young player and someone who had always come across well, but I do question is commitment and durability after all this.

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

One thought on “North-East reporter reveals Mikel Merino’s release clause at NUFC – Very strange

  1. Rather than questioning durability?? and commitment we should be applauding his intelligence and ambition and the fact that rather than just sit on his ar5e raking in the cash (Colback?) he wants to actually play.

    If we can double our money on a squad player who can hardly make the bench how is that a bad thing? The only way to cash in on this “potential” thing that we keep talking about is to sell him.

    Make 5 or 6 million, and knock another million off the wage bill? Sounds like a deal to me.

    Enough to pay the salaries of another couple of decent players.

      (Quote)

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