SUPER MAC If Merino wants to pack his bags, cash in on him
IF it comes to the crunch I won’t mind if Newcastle sacrifice Mikel Merino in order to get a top-quality striker.
Merino seems to be determined to manufacture a move out of England after having his head turned back home in Spain. Well, if that’s the case then United should take £20m and top-up their striker pot.
They require a finisher more than they require Merino. That’s the bottom line.
The lad looked to have a lot going for him when he first arrived and became United’s No 1 playmaker after Jonjo Shelvey got sent off on the opening day.
However since his good start the young Spaniard hasn’t improved one jot I’m afraid.
He’s still young, of course, and if he’s prepared to stay and learn under his fellow countryman Rafa Benitez then all well and good. But if not, he can go. Shelvey is a better player right now, more clued-in to the English game. He and Mo Diame are an excellent centre midfield partnership. It looks as though Rafa will have to boost his transfer kitty by selling, and so the likes of Merino and Aleksandar Mitrovic, who can bring decent money, are vital to any reshuffle. However I urge United not to be too greedy over Mitro. They must sell him on the back of the golden glow of his goals at Fulham (only in the Championship of course) before buyers discover he is not a consistent top-flight performer. I would take £15m to £16m and at that price Fulham would Aleksandar Mitrovic is on World Cup duty with Serbia bite their hand off. It’s ominously quiet in the transfer market, time is of the essence, and I know what I want to see.
I would be happy to play the same keeper, the same back four, and the same midfield next season, perhaps with back-up players brought in.
But I want to see two strikers recruited to play in tandem. United only have Dwight Gayle and Joselu and neither ought to be starters.
I would love to see Gayle make it, and he would be invaluable as the No 3 or 4 striker, but a natural finisher is desperately required.
Talking of strikers, I’m loving Harry Kane. He’s top drawer and scored England’s winner in their opening fixture because Gareth Southgate has him in the penalty area for corners, not taking them! I was never going to take Newcastle’s corners. I was right there in the centre of the box waiting to pounce. By the way what is going on with VAR? There were two assaults on Kane in the area that should have brought England penalties but didn’t bring a flicker from either the referee or those sitting before a bank of screens back in Moscow. I know some punters are criticising the World Cup but I’m finding it fascinating and for me the team of the tournament so far is Mexico who deservedly beat Germany. Man of the tournament? Kane for us English but Ronaldo for the rest of the world. The lad is phenomenal and is actually getting better. Malcolm Macdonald