NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Mikel Merino of Newcastle United applauds the crowd as he leaves the pitch during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Newcastle United and Luton Town at St James' Park on January 6, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Newcastle United have depth in central midfield, but they would have been much better off with Mikel Merino in the squad.

Mikel Merino was one of the few players that Rafa Benitez personally communicated with to bring over to Newcastle United. Merino came to Newcastle United from Borussia Dortmund in a loan deal with an option for the Magpies to purchase the Spaniard if he made a certain number of appearances. Merino met the appearance quota and was tied down to a permanent, multi-year contract, but he left after one season on Tyneside.

Letting Merino move to Real Sociedad after the 2017-18 campaign was a big mistake for Newcastle United. Merino wasn’t a standout playmaker and he didn’t fill the stat sheet with impressive numbers in terms of goals and assists, but his composure on the ball, great vision and shooting accuracy from distance is what really impressed the Toon Army.

Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yueng provide depth for the Magpies in central midfield, but not sufficient quality and energy to spark proper internal competition. As a result, Steve Bruce will be heavily dependent on Sean Longstaff, Matty Longstaff and Isaac Hayden in the middle of the park for the majority of this season.

With Mohamed Diame out of the picture, too, Merino would have had plenty of chances to start for Newcastle United and he would have been a great fit for this 3-4-3 system. Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden are both more defensive players and this would have enabled Mikel Merino to play higher up the pitch and get involved in most attacks.

The same thing can be said for last season. Merino would have started several games, especially after Shelvey went down with a thigh injury that kept him out for months, and he would have developed a great partnership with Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez.

I know that this article is based on a lot of “what could have been” scenarios, but it just goes to show how important his presence in the squad was. Merino has a bright future ahead of him and he is enjoying good form in Spain, but things could have been even better had he stayed with Newcastle United.