Newcastle United midfielder Mikel Merino insists he'll be working tirelessly over the summer to improve himself as a footballer.

The Spaniard, who has been linked with a move to Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao, made 24 Premier League appearances last season.

And he wants to work on improving his game in order to solidify himself in Rafa Benitez's team.

"I'll try to improve myself, I'll try to play more minutes, to be an important part of the team and an important player," he told nufc.co.uk. "I want to increase my offensive skills, try to make more goals, try to be more confident with ball and try to make my teammates play better.

"In the summer I will work on my less strong things, like using more of the right foot and things like that, and in the pre-season I'll try to improve myself even more and start the season at a high level."