Latest news with #MiguelAlmiron
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Newcastle fury at ‘Saudi tax' on transfers
Newcastle are growing increasingly frustrated at rival clubs putting a 'Saudi tax' on transfers and refuse to be held to ransom over key targets. Telegraph Sport has been given a unique insight into Newcastle 's negotiations for players amid warnings there is not enough money to spend large amounts on each of the four players they want to sign. Senior club sources believe a so-called 'Saudi tax' has plagued the club since the takeover by the Kingdom Public Investment Fund back in October 2021 and that it remains an issue. As a result, they are trying to explain to rival clubs – with limited success so far – there is a warped perception of their spending power. They remain heavily restrained by Premier League's Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules. With a new contract for star striker Alexander Isak also in the pipeline – talks are expected to start in July – Newcastle cannot spend upwards of £60 million on players when wages are also a consideration. Although the sales of Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly in January brought in around £25m and has given Newcastle the flexibility to invest in new players, there is not a lot of headroom in which to manoeuvre. Newcastle are targeting a goalkeeper – Burnley's James Trafford is a long-standing priority – as well as a centre-back, a right-sided forward and a striker to offer support and competition to Isak. Depending on player sales, another midfielder could arrive, especially as Sean Longstaff is expected to depart. Newcastle have identified the players in whom they are interested, but have a valuation on each of them, both in terms of fee and wages, and cannot move away from that if they are going to fill all the positions of need in Eddie Howe's squad. A good example is what has happened with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo. As revealed by Telegraph Sport last week, the Cameroon international was identified as a leading target by Newcastle's recruitment team weeks ago. But their attempts to sign a player universally liked by all the main power brokers at St James' Park was thwarted. Mbeumo's wage demands as well as a transfer fee of more than £60m proved to be too expensive a deal to pursue. The player has since intimated to his representatives he wants to play for Manchester United. Mbeumo would have likely been Newcastle's highest earner if he had signed. That would have inevitably prompted others at the club to ask for parity, sending the wage bill soaring or risk carrying disgruntled players moving forward who resent not being paid the same as new arrivals. The negotiations with Isak will be difficult but the intention will be to make him the highest earner to reward him for his excellence on Tyneside. Bringing in new players on significantly more money than that before those talks begin is fraught with danger. It is thought there will be movement on incomings at St James' Park later this month with the intention to sign at least two players before the start of pre-season training in July. On the right side of attack, Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo and Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga have been discussed extensively, but as things stand the asking prices are too high for meaningful progress to be made. That could change swiftly but there is currently frustration. Brighton forward Joao Pedro is another player who has been scouted extensively and is seen as a strong potential signing, but there are also concerns about the asking price and the player's willingness to compete with Isak for a central role. Pedro's versatility and his ability to play across the front three is one of the main attractions, but a fee of up to £70m has been circulated and that would blow a huge chunk of Newcastle's budget on one player. It has caused pause for thought internally. Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike has been tracked for years but the £80m asking price is putting Newcastle off for now. James McAtee is a player liked by manager Eddie Howe and could be available for around £25m. The England Under-21 international is expected to leave this summer as he is not getting enough first team football under Pep Guardiola. West Ham's Mohammed Kudus is another player the manager and scouting staff are interested in and he is expected to be on the move this summer, but a suitable fee would need to be negotiated. In defence, the only name in the public domain at the moment is Marc Guehi. Newcastle are still interested in signing the Crystal Palace defender, but are waiting for the asking price to fall for a player who is entering the final year of his contract. Newcastle value the 25-year-old at around £40m and are prepared to keep their powder dry to see what happens over the summer and there are likely to be other suitors. As Telegraph Sport reported, Crystal Palace have explored an ambitious deal for Sporting Lisbon's Ousmane Diomande – one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in Europe – as a potential successor if Guehi does go. As ever, there will be other names who are not in the public domain that Newcastle are keeping secret. Some of their biggest transfers, like Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon and Sandro Tonali from AC Milan were only known about 48 hours before they signed.
BBC News
04-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Quiet transfer window feels like 'missed opportunity'
Another transfer window over and what do Newcastle United have to show for it? A depleted squad and that is all, you can imagine, I am not that jazzed to have gone through a third successive window without strengthening our starting XI.I understand that Profit and Sustainability rules must be adhered to and that, come June, we may be in a better position from that perspective to actually do some business in the summer. I get it is not the summer, it is the winter - and it is cold and miserable and I wanted a shiny new player to get excited lack of depth has been exacerbated by the outgoings of Lloyd Kelly and Miguel Almiron. Eddie Howe said in his news conference on Tuesday that we are "lighter in numbers but high in quality" is true that Kelly and Almiron were not close to our regular starting XI and that we do have some really exceptional players in our squad, but they need to be able to rest. We saw at the weekend against Fulham what a tired squad looks like. We saw it when we were in the Champions League. We need is equally frustrating seeing teams around us in the table seemingly taking the gamble and strengthening their squads. Aston Villa have done some excellent business and are only four points off us.I know January is not necessarily the best time to buy - prices are high and players are reluctant to move around mid-season, plus integration time. I know there is more at to not take any sort of gamble when we really are in with a chance of finishing in a European place and have a pretty thin squad feels like a missed more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external
BBC News
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Always played his heart out' - fans praise departing Almiron
We asked how you were feeling following the news that Miguel Almiron has returned to Atlanta United after six years at Newcastle and asked for your standout moments from the are some of your comments:Peter: Gracias por todos, Miggy! One of the most hard-working, honest players. I'll remember his smile most of all, and the celebration after he opened the scoring on that glorious night against Paris A true club player who gave 110% in every game he played in. Scored our first goal in Europe in two decades and some other crackers as well in his time. He's had a good run and I for one wish him well for the future. A lovely lad as well. Good luck, Miggy!Joff: Almiron epitomised everything that was exciting about the Toon team as it emerged from the doldrums of the Mike Ashley era. His effort and passion were on show every time he pulled the shirt on. We owe him. He will remain in all Toon hearts for a long time, in the same way as the likes of Nobby Solano and Cheick Only positive memories of Miggy. His work ethic was probably better than anyone, he was happy and always a smile and he scored some brilliant goals in our best season for years. The only downside was how some fans disrespected him on social media. It makes you ashamed of the fans at times. His love of Newcastle will ensure he will be remembered fondly and always be welcome in Miggy let no one down, I just wished the club could have given him a final swansong this Saturday. He would have got the send-off with best wishes like no other. Will miss his Miggy was a real dynamo for us when we needed fighting spirit. He helped keep us up and always played his heart out. He loved Newcastle and we loved him back. I know we have to sell to move forward and I can only hope he is happy back in Atlanta.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Newcastle's Almiron rejoins Atlanta United for £8m
Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron has rejoined Atlanta United on a permanent deal for £8m. The 30-year-old Paraguay international signed for the Magpies from the Major League Soccer side in 2019 for a then club record fee of £20m. Almiron has made 223 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 30 goals, but has struggled recently to gain a place in manager Eddie Howe's starting line-up. Last weekend he came on as a substitute in Newcastle's 3-1 win against Southampton and waved farewell to the travelling supporters. Almiron played a significant role in Newcastle reaching the Carabao Cup final and finishing fourth in the Premier League in 2022-23. He also scored the opening goal in the Magpies' 4-1 win against Paris St-Germain at St James' Park on the club's return to the Champions League in October 2023. "On behalf of the club, I want to thank 'Miggy' for everything he has given us during our time together," said Howe. "He has been the ultimate professional, and he has been a big part of some of our most memorable moments in recent seasons. "He is a great person and we'll miss him greatly, but this is the right move at the right time for him and his family and we wish them well." Atlanta United play in the Eastern Conference of the MLS, with the 2025 season starting on 22 February. Latest Newcastle news, analysis and fan views Get Newcastle news sent straight to your phone
New York Times
30-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Miguel Almiron: Farewell ‘Wor Miggy' – Newcastle's frustrating finisher, but beloved grafter
The scorer of a historic Champions League goal against Paris Saint-Germain, the owner of the widest smile in football, and a mainstay of two disparate regimes and three very different managers, Miguel Almiron has left his mark on Newcastle United. His Wor Flags send-off ahead of the Bournemouth game at St James' Park on January 18 was merely the most recent of displays dedicated to the Paraguayan, including defending the winger after Jack Grealish mocked Manchester City team-mate Riyad Mahrez for 'playing like Almiron'. Advertisement Almiron was dubbed 'Wor Miggy' by the Newcastle faithful — 'wor' being the Geordie word for 'our' — underlining how fans accepted him as one of their own, largely based on his work rate and sunny disposition. He has never conducted a significant interview in English. There was an unveiling in Spanish following his January 2019 signing from Atlanta United of MLS and soundbites in his native tongue yet, despite having spent the past nine years playing in Anglophone countries, he has never felt confident enough to converse publicly in English. That is not intended as a criticism, given the difficulty of learning any foreign language. In fact, it is a compliment. Almiron has been able to express himself in other ways and still capture people's affection. Such ambiguity is reflective of Almiron's Newcastle career as a whole. From the very start, it was almost impossible to accurately ascertain anything relating to him; how good he was, what his role was and whether his limited end product, beyond a purple patch in the autumn of 2022, was sufficiently compensated by his less tangible contributions. Even the initial cost of his transfer was disputed. There was agreement that Newcastle could eventually pay Atlanta a club-record fee. But, while then owner Mike Ashley's regime did nothing to quell reports they had committed £21million ($26.2m at the present exchange rate) to sign Almiron, Newcastle's manager at the time Rafa Benitez insisted the initial outlay was lower and the remainder performance-related. When Newcastle officially announced Joelinton's acquisition in summer 2022, they stated the Brazilian had joined for a 'club-record fee'. That phrase was absent from their confirmation of Almiron's arrival six months earlier. Regardless, amid the bleakness of the Ashley era, Almiron immediately came to embody the Benitez-generated hope for a brighter future. His signing was exciting, ambitious, and hinted at a potential change of direction, even if the reality was different and Benitez was already heading towards the exit, believing the deal should have been done at the start of that winter window, not the end. Advertisement If Almiron had an immediate impact on supporter mood — Wor Flags unveiled a banner bearing the message, 'Wor Almiron quiero contar contigo', a phrase which had played an important role in his career and which translates roughly to, 'I want to rely on you' — his impact upon the team was just as instantaneous. His full debut against Huddersfield Town three weeks after arrival ranks among the most electrifying by a Newcastle player in modern times. The South American's pace forced a first-half red card and liberated Newcastle's attack. Almiron, Spaniard Ayoze Perez and Venezuelan Salomon Rondon, christened 'The Three Amigos' by supporters, formed a fluid and frightening attack. Almiron's relentless running created space and opportunities for the other two, who scored 14 goals between them during the second half of that season. But another moment against Huddersfield that day proved prescient. Clean through, Almiron chipped the goalkeeper, only for the ball to rebound off the post. That was the second appearance in a 26-game goalless run at the start of his Newcastle career. Almiron's first 117 Premier League games saw him only score 10 times, from an expected goals (xG) return of 15.36, and provide three assists. Between October 2020 and November 2022, he went 77 top-flight matches without an assist. For the most part, Almiron's final ball and shooting meant his assists and goals figures were damagingly low. His over-reliance on his left foot also limited his effectiveness. Yet those measurable metrics do not adequately reflect Almiron's attributes. He has an enviable ability to create space for others, merely by covering ground so rapidly, while his off-the-ball contributions and energy are invaluable. Context also provides mitigation. Almiron was signed by Benitez to play a clearly defined role as a flying left-winger in a 3-4-3 system, yet the Spaniard left Newcastle within six months, as did fellow forwards Perez and Rondon. Advertisement Steve Bruce, Benitez's successor, never seemed sure how best to use Almiron, whose versatility became a curse. The Paraguayan was often tasked, alongside Allan Saint-Maximin, with carrying the ball upfield from deep, meaning he was physically spent by the time he reached the final third. He was deployed as a No 10, a left-winger, a right-winger, a wing-back and even a No 8 — but rarely with precise instruction. When Almiron thrived for Newcastle, it was when he was given a specific position and exacting orders. Eddie Howe's front-footed, high-pressing style ideally suited his athleticism, but the forward also flourished because of the direction provided and the tailored one-on-one coaching. Having previously struggled as an inverted winger, preferring to play as a No 10 or left-sided forward, Almiron blossomed when he was partnered with the quality and intelligence of Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier down the right. That right-sided axis was critical to Newcastle's fourth-placed finish in 2022-23 and Almiron was pivotal to their success. Howe had wanted a new right-sided forward — he still does — but Almiron profited from the lack of an arrival and raised his levels beyond comprehension for 18 months. He scored more goals in six games in October 2022 (six), during a run of seven goals in as many matches, than he managed throughout any of his other full top-flight league seasons. That was not coincidental, either; Howe encouraged Almiron to aim his shots higher in the net and, when that technique proved successful, his confidence visibly grew. Almiron scored 11 of his 23 career Premier League goals across 34 appearances that season from an xG of 8.0. His other 12 were spread across six campaigns and 152 matches. Even then, creativity has been a constant shortcoming, with decision-making an issue. There were only three assists between Howe's appointment in November 2021 and the end of 2023-24. His expected assists (xA) per 90 minutes return was only 0.09, meagre for a top-level winger. While Almiron's effectiveness in the final third dipped last season, he remained first-choice for much of it. He featured in all six Champions League matches and scored Newcastle's first goal in the competition for 20 years, kickstarting that famous, exhilarating 4-1 victory over PSG. Advertisement Gradually, Almiron's game-time lessened, however, and Newcastle were seeking a buyer last January. This season, his appearances dwindled further, with only one Premier League start and just 157 top-flight minutes played. Jacob Murphy has usurped him from within, following the club's failure to sign an upgrade at the position last summer. Rather than return to the South American as an alternative to Murphy, Howe has trialled Joelinton, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon down that flank. All parties accept Almiron's time at Newcastle has reached a natural end, although it could be argued that point arrived 12 months ago, when a sale could not be agreed. Perhaps Newcastle should even have tried to move him on in the summer after that 2022-23 season, when he was at peak valuation. Some inside the club accepted his goal-scoring uptick of that campaign felt unsustainable, though Howe did not want to rapidly overhaul the squad. Still, even when Newcastle were looking leggy in that recent home defeat against Bournemouth, Almiron wasn't sent on. The 30-year-old's imminent exit probably entered Howe's thinking, but he also appeared to have lost faith in his ability to influence top-flight matches. In that sense, allowing Almiron to return to Atlanta United for a fee of around £11m — more than some in recruitment circles felt was achievable before this winter window opened — represents good business, especially given club sources insist it aids Newcastle's position in relation to the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). Newcastle needed to sell someone for a reasonable profit in this year's winter window and Almiron turns 31 in less than two weeks, while his deal was due to expire in summer 2026. The extension he signed in February 2023 has served its purpose as it has actually partly protected his value. Advertisement There is a definite gamble in allowing Almiron to go without signing a replacement, however. The noises are that it will be very difficult for Newcastle to do significant incoming business, and they are expected to wait until the summer to finally acquire the right-winger Howe desires. Again, the assertion is that is PSR-driven, not a lack of desire to strengthen. With Barnes out injured until the middle of February, Howe is short of senior wide forwards. Should further attackers succumb to injury, then Newcastle's bid for European qualification and tilts at the two domestic cups may suffer. At some stage, though, they had to raise greater cash through players sales and that requires risks being taken. Howe did not deem Almiron to be the player of two seasons ago anymore, or even the player of the six months on either side of that, and so he was dispensable. Newcastle fans will only wish a fond farewell to Almiron, a player who often did not quite deliver in front of goal, but whose difficult-to-discern alternative contributions were appreciated. He will always be remembered fondly on Tyneside as 'Wor Miggy'. GO DEEPER Miguel Almiron: The journey of 'The Eel'
