Newcastle United’s offer for Atlanta United forward Miguel Almiron remains on the table heading into the final nine days of the transfer window.

United are understood to have offered around £16million for Almiron – some £7million shy of the sum Atlanta president Darren Eales has told the press he’s looking for – and are the only Premier League side to have made a play for the Paraguay man so far.

And while it has not been enough to broker a deal that Rafa Benitez is urging Newcastle to complete, there remains dialogue between the two parties over the deal.

Whether the MLS club, who have signed Pity Martinez to leave them with one too many Designated Players and a major dilemma, will budge on their valuation is unclear.

A piece in Sports Illustrated sets out their dilemma and said that of him and Ezequiel Barco, the other Designated Player being tipped to be sold, "it makes the most sense to move on from Almiron, who, despite remaining under contract with Atlanta through the 2020 season, had the body language and words of a player leaving a city that worshipped at his altar for two seasons in which he amassed 22 goals and 30 assists (regular season and playoffs combined)."

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But aside from Newcastle, there haven't been many bites - especially not when the full financial package is presented . His agent Daniel Campos is working furiously to drum up other interest while still remaining in talks with Newcastle.

United fans will be frustrated by Newcastle’s valuation of the player and reluctance to do a deal which would come with a hefty agent’s commission. Claims over the weekend pitched that sum at £4million – which would be sizeable and is probably another reason for reluctance to meet the full valuation of the 24-year-old.

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Almiron is Benitez’s number one target and the player he wants to fill the number ten slot that he has been looking to recruit in for as long as he’s been at Newcastle. But it feels as if once again United’s financial priorities and the manager’s desire to just get deals done do not tally.

Newcastle are likely to do deals before the transfer deadline expires with the club’s management in agreement with Benitez that additions are required to insulate them from the threat of a relegation which would make all conversations about Benitez’s future totally redundant.

A left-back and winger are seen as pivotal additions by the manager, with a central midfielder another possibility now that injuries have hit.

But the Almiron deal, while not dead, would require significant movement on both the player and selling club’s part for Newcastle to make him their marquee New Year transfer.