Monday night was a huge occasion for Newcastle United fans who got to watch their first record signing play since Michael Owen back in 2005.
According to Sky Sports, all it took was £20 million for the Magpies to prise Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United and break their long and unwanted record – a relatively small amount compared to the mammoth sums being thrown around by everyone else in the league. And it’s worked wonders for morale.
Fans, though still a little sceptical, will be hoping Miguel Almiron marked the beginning of a new chapter for the club and Mike Ashley, who will surely need to dip into his pockets and invest further into the squad if he wants to escape from the relegation merry-go-round.
Despite arriving on the 70th minute and only getting 20 minutes (plus stoppage) to prove exactly why he’s worth so much of Ashley’s precious cash, we believe the Paraguayan did more than enough to perk the interest of the Newcastle faithful.
If you knew anything about Almiron before he arrived, you’ll have recognised that the explosive speed and industriousness displayed against Wolves was true to form. Some good touches were mixed in with some fairly nervous ones, but that can be expected of a player with such a huge amount of pressure on them.
But why should Newcastle fans be so excited?
More complete than Atsu
What Newcastle fans will be more focussed on however is that he’s far more capable than their current starter, Christian Atsu.
The Ghanaian has been a decent enough servant for the club since his arrival from Chelsea in 2017, making 87 appearances in total so far. But it’s plainly obvious that his place in the starting line-up has been cemented, until now, by Newcastle’s weakness in the transfer market.
A poultry 7 goals and 5 assists to his name is simply not good enough.
Almiron, on the other hand, has managed a very admirable 21 goals and 21 assists in the 62 league games he played for his previous club, and although this was achieved in the MLS, it is a fairly decent representation of the kind of player they’ve invested in. One that can produce.
Morale
Making a big signing like this can have a huge positive impact on a squads’ morale, and that’s exactly what Newcastle need heading into the business end of the season.
There’s going to be a new-found confidence streaming through players now they know they have someone they can rely on in the centre of park, and fans should find themselves watching more expressive football as players realise they have the security to play more creatively and daringly.
Not to mention the fact Rafael Benitez now has more freedom with his own matchday tactics.
The fans will be behind the new man and his team and that should push them over the safety line.
