Newcastle United may be about to give up their long-running hunt for Atlanta United star Miguel Almiron, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim in their live transfer blog (Saturday, 13:30) that the MLS side are demanding close to £30million for the 24-year-old Paraguay international, a figure the Magpies are unable to pay.
The Mirror report that Newcastle may now be about to pull the plug on their pursuit of Almiron, who led Atlanta to the MLS Cup this season.
This is the latest twist in a long-running saga which has seen Newcastle reported to have agreed a deal for Almiron, with Atlanta executive Darren Eales being outspoken throughout.
Good move for Newcastle?
Yes.
Almiron is a wonderful player who looks destined to play in one of Europe’s biggest divisions in the near future, with his combination of creativity and goal threat making him a big prospect.
Newcastle are in desperate need of an attacking midfielder to provide support for their strikers, and Almiron looks to be exactly the kind of player they require.
This is Futbol rating: 9/10
Likely to happen?
Despite reports suggesting that Newcastle have been close to reaching an agreement for Almiron, this latest update suggests a deal is no longer likely.
The price tag was always going to be an issue in this case, with Atlanta wanting to secure the best deal possible for their star player, while Newcastle have still not broken their transfer record of £16million since 2005.
And, with owner Mike Ashley trying to sell the club, it is unlikely that significant funds will be available for Rafa Benitez in the upcoming window.
This is Futbol rating: 3/10