Newcastle United set new transfer record in shrewd signing of Miguel Almiron

From the many trials and tribulations at Newcastle United, it would be fair to say that the least likely occurrence from within their current climate would be to see them sign any players on permanent deals, especially not any that were coming with heaps of potential and many years ahead of them. That's exactly what happened on Tuesday evening, where Newcastle United were handed a confidence boost before hosting Manchester City - which they shockingly went on to win - that they'd agreed a fee with Atlanta United for attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron.

Triggering your transfer record would be exciting for a lot of teams but for Newcastle United, it's absolutely astronomical considering their issues with owner Mike Ashley and the lack of funding he's given Rafa Benitez regarding transfers. The last time this happened was back at the start of the 2005/06 season, where The Magpies signed Michael Owen from Real Madrid for just short of £20 million. If he's able to live up to the reputation built in the MLS, he could be real coup for Newcastle United, and it couldn't come at a much better time after the club's fans have continued to find more disappointment in the lack of signings and no sign of any more financial investment from Mike Ashley, with hopes that he'll soon agree to sell the club to one of several interested bidders.

If you're a fan of the MLS or an avid follower of FIFA Ultimate Team, you'll already be aware of Miguel Almiron; for everyone else, there's a lot to learn. Often heralded as 'The New Ozil', Paraguayan attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron started out at Cerro Porteno in his home nation before moving to Lanus in the Argentine Primera Division, and sealing a move to MLS newcomers Atlanta United in 2016. Since that point, he's been able to score nine goals and contribute eight assists in his first term before scoring thirteen goals and contributing eleven assists in his second, earning a move to the Premier League. He's best known for working among the fierce attacking lineup consisting of Josef Martinez, Hector Villalba and Julian Gressel that won last year's MLS Cup.

Performances seen by Almiron have been enough to set Atlanta United's stamp on the MLS, which was something they needed after only joining the division in 2017. Atlanta United matches now outsell the city's NFL team, and it's Miguel Almiron's versatility that contributed towards Atlanta becoming one of North America's teams to watch, with him not only venturing forward to offer creative opportunities for his teammates, but also tracking back to help out in defence, offering a lot in his potential move to Newcastle United, and justifying becoming the most expensive MLS export since Jozy Altidore joined Villarreal in 2008.

Being labelled 'The New Ozil' isn't necessarily the compliment it once was, but he possesses the same qualities that once had the world falling in love with the German number 10. Almiron plays in the same role and has heaps of potential at just twenty-four years old. There's also more to him than just being an attacking player, with former Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martinez describing him as being more than the type of luxury player that we've seen in past years.

Players like Mesut Ozil have mostly been criticised due to their disinterest in defending and lack of capability when it comes to tackling but Martino sees more dimensions to Almiron. He was once quoted as saying: "He's an atypical number 10 because he gives you everything that a number 10 gives you, and he probably dispossesses players like a defensive midfielder." It will come as a pleasant surprise for Newcastle United fans to see so much for their new signing, especially if he'll add more than just flair with no strength and stability behind it. Martino added: "As a player who always works hard, he's never absent in a game, even a game where your team isn't dominating the offensive facet of the game."

Another interesting piece of supposed insight came from Danny Mills, who spoke to BBC Radio 5Live as the news broke. He said: "It may be a record signing but it's not that stellar signing who you know is going to score goals. He is very much an unknown, He might take time to settle as well." The view from Mills picked up a lot of criticism, not only due to it being irrelevant as he's not heard of Almiron, but also in it being misguided, as the Atlanta United player has done more than enough to prove himself in the MLS, making him an exciting signing for Newcastle.

You'll find plenty of examples of Miguel Almiron running riot in the MLS. Here's one that features his goals and assists from the most recent season:

(Video Courtesy of SV Football)

The overwhelming response from Newcastle fans is to be expected, and some of the tweets that have emerged have been sensational. These include:

Hopes that Almiron will be up to the standard of Newcastle United's greatest ever American import -

Speculation over how long The Magpies have had to wait for their transfer record to finally be broken again -

One Newcastle fan enduring the best week of his life -

Another Newcastle fan envisaging a devastating turnaround -