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1) Explosive pace

Miguel Almiron is breathtakingly quick. His acceleration has caught out several defenders so far this season and gives Newcastle an outlet they didn’t previously have.

2) Improves team-mates

Before the Magpies’ last two defeats, Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez were playing their best football of the season. Their new Paraguyan team-mate brought out the best in the pair and the Toon forward line has looked more potent since his arrival.

3) Good attitude

On the evidence so far, there’s no such thing as a lost cause as far as Almiron is concerned. And he’s not afraid to coax, cajole and encourage those around him. Within minutes of his debut at Wolves, he was in the faces of team-mates as if he’d been playing with them for years.

4) Unpredictability

Just ask Jordan Pickford. The 24-year-old wasn’t having a particularly good game against Everton when suddenly, he looked up, pulled the trigger and fired a venomous shot which caught the keeper by surprise. He spilled the ball and Perez followed up. That’s only one example of his ability to explode into life without warning.

5) Willing workhorse

Almiron is quite prepared to do “the hard yards,” closing down space, making decoy runs, harrying defenders. That’s just what Rafa Benitez likes to see from his forwards and it’s one box the South American will always tick.

(Image: GETTY)

1) Fades in games

Take Saturdays’ home defeat against Crystal Palace for instance. Almiron was decent in the opening 45 minutes, arguably the Toon’s top performer. But he barely got a kick after the break and it’s not the first time he’s become less effective as a game goes on.

2) Lacks composure

In his post-match press conference, Benitez said “when you play in a hurry, you make mistakes.” He was probably thinking of Almiron, whose 100mph style has its advantages but can sometimes lead to his team losing possession or the player himself taking wrong options.

3) No goals so far

Almiron isn’t an out-and-out goalscorer but after eight appearances, he is still waiting to open his Toon account. He scored 13 times for Atlanta last season and will be disappointed not to have scored for Newcastle. It might have been so different had he marked his debut against Huddersfield with a goal but after bursting clear, he dinked his effort onto the post.

(Image: GETTY)

4) All left foot

Even Almiron’s biggest fans would accept he is very, very one-footed. That isn’t necessarily a major problem – after all some of the greatest-ever footballers have been that way. But there have been times when a shooting chance has gone begging because of his desire to switch feet.

5) Temperament

On his Newcastle unveiling, Almiron declared: “I am no angel.” And he demonstrated the point during a recent Paraguay international when he was red-carded for a dreadful foul on a Mexican opponent. In fairness to the player, he has been on best behaviour for the Magpies so far. But, it appears, he can lose it.

(Image: GETTY)

Almiron’s best game was his debut when he earned a standing ovation for an eye-catching performance. But it was against rock-bottom Huddersfield who played with ten men for more than an hour. Since then, he’s had good moments but not quite scaled those heights again.

Rafa Benitez has declared himself satisfied with his most expensive Toon purchase and not once since that afternoon, has he been tempted to hook him. That tells you something.

The fact is that for a South American, who had not played in Europe let alone had Premier League experience before joining Newcastle, he has done well, added something to the team and formed a pretty good understanding with those around him.

At £21m, Almiron may be Newcastle’s record signing but in today’s inflated market, such a sum does not buy a world-beater.

Almiron certainly isn’t that but he has demonstrated he can be an asset to the Magpies in the months and years ahead.