Miguel Almirón is close to a return to Atlanta and MLS after Newcastle agreed a fee of about £8m-£10m. The Paraguay winger, also pursued by FC Charlotte in recent days, is believed to be keen on moving back to the United States after six largely successful years at St James’ Park and is in advanced talks with his former club.
Although the 30-year-old has slipped out of favour this season, starting only one Premier League gamee, he proved a mainstay of the team that secured Champions League qualification during the 2022-23 campaign.
Almirón has made 222 Newcastle appearances, scoring 30 goals after being signed by Rafael Benítez for £21m in 2019. On Wednesday, he came off the substitutes’ bench to make almost certainly a farewell appearance on Tyneside in a 3-0 win against Wolves.
Last season, a forward used primarily as a right-winger by Eddie Howe but also capable of operating in a No 10 role attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia but opted to remain in England.
Given that Almirón’s contract runs until 2026 and he remains an extremely popular dressing-room figure, Howe would have liked to keep him in a squad lacking real strength in depth. Instead, the need for Newcastle to avoid breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations has informed the sale.
With Almirón’s fellow winger Harvey Barnes sidelined by injury for the next month, the Paraguayan’s impending departure leaves a side who have won nine successive cup and league games with only two fit specialist senior wingers in Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle have also received a £6m offer from Fenerbahce for the centre-half or left-back Lloyd Kelly. However, they are reluctant to allow the former Bournemouth defender – who joined Newcastle on a free transfer last summer – to join José Mourinho’s squad unless the bid is significantly increased.
