Arsenal’s reluctance in offering Miguel Almiron a permanent deal led to his £21 million move to Newcastle United.
Arsenal were seemingly keen on the services of Miguel Almiron in January but the Gunners’ reluctance in offering the Paraguayan forward a permanent deal forced to him turn down a move to Emirates and instead, join league rivals Newcastle United – as reported by The Sun.
According to the report, Almiron’s agent, Daniel Campos has told Paraguayan radio station, ABC Cardinal: “There was interest shown by Manchester United in Miguel Almiron but they never made an offer. Arsenal and Southampton offered loan deals for Miguel Almiron but we did not want it to be a loan.”
As a result, the former Atlanta United talisman opted for a move to Tyneside outfit Newcastle United for a fee of £21 million. However, Almiron hasn’t quite been able to make his mark for his new team just yet, even though Newcastle United have remained unbeaten in the three games he has played so far.
The 25-year-old has featured in just 179 minutes of football so far, mostly appearing on the left-flank. But, his addition to the club has given coach Rafael Benitez some much-needed depth in the attacking department while staying less reliant on the services of Matt Ritchie.
As for Arsenal, they have struggled with lack of attacking options this season, even though their main goalscorers in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have done quite well so far.
Mesut Ozil has failed to make himself a first-team regular under Unai Emery while Henrikh Mkhitaryan has struggled with both form and injuries. With Aaron Ramsey set to join Juventus at the start of next season, the addition of Almiron could have been beneficial for the Gunners.
The Paraguayan international, aside from his scoring prowess, is known for his creativity in the final third, which could have provided Emery with more options in the creative department. At the age of 25, he could have been a long-term investment for the North London giants.
At the same time, however, Almiron is largely untested in European football, thus raising question marks over his credibility of performing in the fast-paced Premier League. Therefore, Arsenal’s reluctance in offering Almiron a permanent contract was certainly a logical move from a sporting perspective.
But, it’s too early to judge Almiron’s performance in the Premier League and as we move into the final phase of the campaign, it will be interesting to see what the Paraguayan forward can offer to the table for Newcastle as they aim to achieve a mid-table finish this season.