Miguel Almiron's agent tested waters over emotional return with Newcastle United future unclear
Miguel Almiron's agent enquired over the possibility of a very emotional MLS return
Miguel Almiron's agent held talks with Atlanta United chiefs about a sensational return to the club earlier this summer.
The Newcastle United winger remains a 'valued' member of Eddie Howe's squad, as the boss reaffirmed on Friday morning, but speculation swirled earlier this week as MLS side Charlotte FC pushed for an ambitious transfer in the final hours of the North American window.
A deal couldn't be agreed between Newcastle and Charlotte in the end, while Almiron's agent also reached out to Atlanta to test the waters regarding the winger returning to the Mercedes-Benz Arena five years after bidding farewell to the club. Atlanta ultimately decided against pursuing a deal for the 30-year-old, and ended their summer window without signing another 'designated player' to their squad.
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A return to MLS was always going to prove a tricky deal to pull off given Newcastle have no interest in selling Almiron on the cheap. The record signing in the division stands at $16million [£12.5million] and Charlotte FC have never spent more than $8million [£6.25million] on a single signing.
Speculation persists over Almiron's future but Howe was, again, extremely complimentary about the Paraguayan international when questioned on the subject during Friday's pre-Southampton press briefing.
“A lot of speculation with Miggy over the summer which will have been difficult for him,” he told reporters at the club's Benton HQ. “He's a really valued member of the squad, he's very much with us and we value his qualities and what he brings.”
Pressed further on whether he was happy for Almiron to stay, the Newcastle head coach added: “Absolutely. We'll work with Miggy to try and get his game back to the levels they were at two years ago for us. He's an important player for us.”