Real Sociedad midfielder compliments Barca's interest

In all transparency, given the depth of the squad, FC Barcelona underperformed in La Liga last season. Their 23/24 campaign exposed some of the weak links in the team, which the Catalan club needs to address as soon as possible to fight for European glory.

The pivot position is at the forefront of their worries. It has recently become a football crisis for FC Barcelona. Pedri is injury-prone and will take some time to return to his best. Moreover, Gavi has been out with an ACL injury since November 2023, and his return is still four months away.

Merino's thoughts on possible Barca transfer

The last few La Liga seasons have witnessed Mikel Merino's creative playmaking along with his ability to execute a double point along with teammate Martin Zubimendi. The txuri-urdin, who has registered 57 goal contributions in his Sociedad career, has established himself as one of the best pivots in La Liga.

Given his heroics, Barca has reportedly put Merino on their bucket list. Regarding the situation, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported,

" "Barcelona have not yet contacted Mikel Merino. The player is aware that he's on Barça's list and due to this he has slowed down renewal talks with La Real. Barça haven't made a definitive move for him so far, as they're waiting for Hansi Flick's decision.""

- Mundo Deportivo

Though it was still a rumor that the Basque midfielder would be joining the Catalan club, Merino himself had this to say:

"“It’s a compliment for me, it’s positive for Real Sociedad also. It’s nice to hear that there’s interest”."

- Mikel Merino(via Diario SPORT)

In addition, Merino could be the ideal midfield prospect compared to his contemporaries on the FCB target list. Compared to Joshua Kimmich, Bruno Guimaraes, and Florian Wirtz, Merino is a cost-effective, reliable option, provided his La Liga brilliance. However, only time will tell how the deal will turn out for the Catalan club.