Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino has already expressed his happiness at the La Liga outfit amid links with a move to Liverpool.
The Spaniard had a spell in the Premier League with Newcastle United in 2017, having arrived initially on loan from Borussia Dortmund before making his move to St James' Park permanent. He made 25 appearances for the Magpies before signing for Real Sociedad for a fee in the region of €12m (£10m).
Since returning to the Spanish top flight, he has made 176 appearances, scoring 18 goals.
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In a report from Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Merino has been mooted with a return to the Premier League as the Liverpool recruitment team compiles a list of targets.
However, he has already quashed any murmurs about him leaving the Basque country. He said at the start of January: "I’m very happy here. I have an incredible history at La Real, I’m very happy with how my career is going here, and I want to focus on that."
Liverpool have endured an indifferent and difficult campaign in the Premier League and as a result of their disappointing season, Jurgen Klopp's midfield has come under fire.
The Reds lured Arthur Melo to Anfield on deadline day in the summer but his involvement has been minimal after suffering an injury early in his career on Merseyside. But as the transfer window unravels, a plethora of names have been linked with a move to the six-time Champions League winners.
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