Matteo Moretto Transfer Column: Mikel Merino stalling, Dani Ceballos’ murky future and Youssef En-Nesyri
Matteo Moretto gives Football España exclusive information on the latest deals dominating the papers in Spain, as revealed in Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing.
Barcelona target avoiding contract response with Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad and Spain star Mikel Mikel Merino continues to stall on making a decision about a possible renewal, because he wants to calmly take a decision on the next step in his career. He is happy at Real Sociedad, but he is making a choice that will define the trajectory of his career, and after six years at the club, he may look for new stimuli – for those reasons he wants to consider his decision carefully.
Barcelona appreciate Merino, he is a profile liked by the sports commission, who are in charge of the transfers. And also the fact that his contract ends in 2025 means he is a bargain for Barca. We shall have to wait and see if Barcelona take the step to go and pursue his signing.
Real Madrid keen to hang onto Dani Ceballos this summer
Real Madrid do not want to deprive themselves of Dani Ceballos because he completes the midfield core, and given the many games on the way next season, he is an option for Carlo Ancelotti… unless a great offer comes for him.
So far I don’t have information on a price tag that Real Madrid would consider, or if they have demands that must be met to let him go, but Ceballos has a contract until 2027 and it will not be easy to negotiate with Real Madrid for that reason – they are very much in control of the situation, after Ceballos signed a new deal last summer. It’s still to early to say which teams are interested in him too.
Sevilla forward prefers Saudi Arabia move amid interest from England
Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri is being followed by several clubs, but no one has yet made an official offer or entered into negotiations with Sevilla. Regarding the player himself, he is attracted to the idea of going to Saudi Arabia. In Italy, he is also one of the names on the shortlist for AC Milan, but as we know, he is not the priority for them. They are moving to bring in Joshua Zirkzee, as we reported on Friday.
Some Premier clubs are also following him, and he has been linked to a move to England in the past. Former manager Julen Lopetegui is now at West Ham, and they are monitoring his situation, but have not yet made any concrete moves for him. We cannot rule out that the player also considers staying at Sevilla for another year, and then leaving for free at the end of his contract, which would likely bring in larger offers for him personally. Of course, on the flipside, Sevilla will look for buyers so as not to lose him for free – a new contract does not look likely.
