Newcastle United fans were buzzing when Mikel Merino joined the club from Borussia Dortmund on loan last summer.

They were even more thrilled when the midfielder signed a permanent deal in October 2017.

The Spaniard committed the next five years of his career to the North-East outfit, but just nine months later it appears that he is on his way out.

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Sky Sports News reported on Thursday that Real Sociedad have agreed to meet a £10m release clause in Merino's contract.

There was plenty of promise surrounding the 22-year-old when he joined the Magpies last year, but he ended up making just 25 appearances for the club in the 2017-18 campaign and scored one goal.

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It soon became clear that Merino was not the right fit for Rafael Benitez's team, and it looks as though a return to Spain is on the cards.

The figure is not a bad one either considering that Transfermarkt have the midfielder valued at £9m.

Newcastle fans have been taking to Twitter to deliver their opinions on Merino's imminent departure.