£51m Liverpool & Manchester City transfer target 'asked' to join Newcastle United

Referee Michael Oliver had a quick word with former Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino following Real Sociedad's Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Sociedad were knocked out of the Champions League following a 2-1 defeat by PSG on Tuesday night. Captain Merino scored for the hosts but it was nothing more than a consolation as they fell to a 4-1 aggregate defeat in the Champions League last-16.

After the match, referee Oliver was captured by the TNT Sports cameras shaking Merino's hand and appearing to say 'come back' to the player with a smile. Merino laughed in response to the match official, who is a boyhood Newcastle fan.

Oliver's links to Newcastle prevent him from officiating the club's matches in the Premier League. But it appears he is still doing anything he can to try and help his team.

Merino joined Newcastle from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 on an initial loan deal which was later made permanent. He went on to make 25 appearances for the club, scoring once before joining Real Sociedad for around £10million.

Since returning to Spain, the midfielder has established himself as one of the best in his position in La Liga while also becoming a regular for the Spanish national team. He has played over 230 games for Real Sociedad, scoring 25 goals.

Merino will be viewed as 'one who got away' for Newcastle as they look to bolster their midfield options. Merino's contract at Real Sociedad expires next summer and includes a release clause of around £51million.

Several top European clubs, including Manchester City and Liverpool, have been linked with the 27-year-old midfielder.