Leaving Newcastle United is the wrong option for Mikel Merino

Rumor has it that Mikel Merino wishes to leave Newcastle United, but leaving would not be a wise decision for the young Spaniard.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Mikel Merino has internally expressed his desire to leave Newcastle United and return to his native Spain. The 21-year-old player has fallen down the pecking order at Newcastle, as Rafa Benitez continues to play Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame together in the middle.

Like Shelvey and Diame, Merino is a defensive midfielder, but his dribbling skills also make him effective in the attack. The biggest problems for Merino this season have been the inability to maintain consistency and injury setbacks.

At the young age of 21, Merino has several years of football left in him and he is still two or three years away from his prime. With that being said, Merino should not think of departing from Tyneside as a solution to his lack of playing time. Instead, Merino should alter his mentality and fight for a starting role in midfield.

Merino vs. Diame

With his impressive form over the last three months, Shelvey’s role in central midfield is untouchable, but Diame can be replaced. Benitez has been facing a dilemma centered on age all season. On one side, there is Diame who will turn 31 in June, and then there is Merino who will turn 22 in the same month.

Of course, age in and of itself does not determine a player’s role in a club, but in this scenario age is somewhat important. Merino has potential and great skills going in his favor, but he lacks the aggression and consistency that Diame possesses.

Overall, Merino is more talented and athletic than Diame and he has the quality to play alongside Shelvey from the start of a match. However, in order for Merino to regain his place in the lineup, he must first regain his confidence.

Merino needs to remind himself that Benitez wanted to secure his talents on Tyneside for a reason. Moreover, Merino needs to take a good look around St. James’ Park to remember how excited supporters were when his deal became permanent.

If the youngster can regain his confidence and not focus on picking up a new injury, he will prove that he has the skills to start for Newcastle.

Long-Term Career

As a 21-year-old, Merino may not be thinking too far ahead in his career, but he should. Leaving Newcastle United to play for mid-table or bottom-half sides in other leagues would not improve his career. Why? For a few reasons.

For his age and the skills that he has, Merino’s development is in great hands under Rafa Benitez. Being so young and learning from a Champions League and Europa League winning manager is an ideal situation.

Furthermore, Merino is playing for a big club in the most competitive league in the world. Departing from this quality of football to play elsewhere for the sake of obtaining more minutes on the pitch would be a huge gamble.

Most importantly, if Merino wishes to fulfill his objective of playing for Spain’s national team, he must stay and prove his worth at Newcastle. Any player who can find success in such a prominent league will attract the attention of their respective national team sooner or later.

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At the end of the day, Mikel Merino controls his own destiny and can map his career as he pleases. However, if the young midfielder aims to develop his skills and play for Spain, he must first show that he can be a primary option for Benitez and the Magpies.