West Ham United and Newcastle United are in talks with the representatives of Atlanta United attacking midfielder and Paraguayan international Miguel Almiron regarding a possible deal worth £10m. However, both the clubs will face a battle in persuading the American club to sell the player.
Almiron had a good season with Atlanta, leading them to the top of MLS’s Eastern Conference and subsequently attracting interests from other leagues. Moving to England, however, will represent a big step forward in his impressive career.
The Paraguayan is a versatile player who can perform various roles across the front line behind a striker. He possesses the qualities to become a handful in the Premier League. For that reason, both the English clubs are in close contact with his agents.
Here’s everything you need to know about the player and why he can make the difference in English top-flight:
Almiron is an attractive player with blinding pace to dribble past defenders, doing so at a rate of 3.1 per game. Concurrently, he has an eye for threading crucial key passes, delivering 2.2 of them at an average. His quick feet allow him to attract opponents and weave past them in a flash, to open spaces for a shot or assist.
The Paraguayan netted 8 goals and provided 9 assists in 21 games, which is quite an impressive return. Furthermore, he can tackle and intercept higher up the pitch, at a rate of 1.9 and 1 respectively, to stop the opposition build-up from the back.
Overall, he is a complete package who can impact the game on both fronts. His pace allows him to make darting runs behind a defence on the counter-attack, which will be a useful ploy in the fast-paced English Premier League.
No wonder West Ham and Newcastle are targeting the player this summer. The Magpies probably need him more just because of the lack of creativity they have in their squad right now. Manager Rafa Benitez must get this deal done and build the team around Almiron.
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Furthermore, playing in the Premier League will be a great opportunity for the player. If he performs well here, he would earn recognition in European football which will further enhance his repertoire.
Stats Courtesy – Whoscored.com
