Transfer Rumours

Reported Miguel Almiron has now agreed personal terms with Newcastle United – Surely not

Another Miguel Almiron update has now appeared in the media on Wednesday.

Not normally in the usual top list of offenders when it comes to transfer speculation, this one is from the Guardian.

The newspaper’s Ed Aarons (Deputy News Editor) says that his information is that Newcastle United have agreed personal terms with Miguel Almiron.

The only stumbling block remaining, according to The Guardian, is the small matter of the transfer fee.

A transfer fee/offer that would need to be at least £24m according to the Atlanta United President.

That figure being 50% more than Newcastle’s 14 year old club record transfer and twice as much as Rafa Benitez has been allowed to pay for any individual in his three years at St James Park.

As for personal terms, only yesterday somebody ‘leaked’ the alleged news that Miguel Almiron was looking for over £100,000 per week in wages before he’d agree to join Newcastle United.

That story was blatantly put out by Mike Ashley’s people as their PR campaign/spin picks up serious pace as the NUFC owner comes under increasing criticism for the handling of pretty much everything at Newcastle United, in particular his treatment of Rafa Benitez and lack of ambition in the transfer market.

After months of speculation and claims of it being set to happen, difficult to imagine how anybody thinks Newcastle will be buying Miguel Almiron, or anybody else of substance, this month.

The Mag – Yesterday (Tuesday 8 January 2019):

Miguel Almiron has for some time being claimed to be the top target for Rafa Benitez in this current transfer window.

With Newcastle United desperate for goals and creativity, the Paraguayan playmaker/number 10 has been constantly linked to Newcastle United.

Only rock bottom Huddersfield have scored less than NUFC’s pitiful 15 Premier League goals in 21 matches.

If any deal for Miguel Almiron was going to happen, most Newcastle fans assumed it would happen at the very start of January, especially as the claimed interest is now months old.

This is especially the case with Newcastle deep in relegation trouble and needing any new signings in as soon as possible to give them the maximum chance of playing enough games to positively help the situation.

With not a single player bought in January 2017 or January 2018 and Rafa Benitez limited to no more than £10m on any buy since promotion, buying Miguel Almiron sounded even more like fantasy.

Only for the Atlanta United President to then respond to claims that a loan deal with eventual £15m fee to be paid by Newcastle had been agreed, by stating the MLS club was looking for at least £24m for their star player.

Tuesday has now seen BT Sport quoting the Press Association, who say their information is that there are two more big ‘stumbling blacks’.

These being the fees that would be payable to agents, as well as Miguel Almiron himself allegedly asking for over £100,000 per week in wages.

The report adds that ‘sources’ on Tyneside have described the agent/player demands as ‘astronomical’.

I’m guessing that the vast majority of Newcastle fans will instantly assume that this story has come from Mike Ashley’s people.

Yet another PR move to try and make the failure to buy the quality of signings Newcastle need, down to greedy players rather than a refusal of Mike Ashley to back his manager.

Miguel Almiron turns 25 years old in February, is in his prime, is a very exciting player who as scored and made goals for fun in the MLS to be arguably the hottest property in their league, so with the transfer market these days, surely we all knew the finances of any deal would be more than for any player Newcastle currently have.

Jonjo Shelvey cost £13m three years ago and as been regularly and widely reported to be Newcastle’s top wage earner on £80,000 per week.

So if Newcastle were going to buy Almiron for £24m or more, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that his wages would be in line with that, a lot higher than Shelvey.

When the likes of Fulham, Bournemouth and others are spending £25m on single players, does anybody really think they will be on the same money as the bargain basement signings Rafa has been forced to make, such as £5m Joselu, £4m Manquillo and £6m Atsu???

It is funny how Mike Ashley is able to sell players such as Carroll, Cabaye, Wijnaldum, Sissoko and Mitrovic for £20m-£35m and yet it suddenly becomes ‘astronomical’ money when it comes to the idea of Newcastle paying that kind of money and commensurate wages for anybody.