Newcastle United have identified alternative transfer targets in case a deal for Miguel Almiron cannot be completed, according to the Chronicle.
The Magpies have been pursuing the 24-year-old for a while, but conflicting reports, also in the Chronicle, suggest that Atlanta United have yet to receive any formal offers for the playmaker.
It is understood that the Tyneside club have now begun the process of identifying alternative transfer targets as a contingency plan in case a deal cannot be struck with the MLS champions.
At least two attacking midfielders based in Europe have been picked out, with one likely to be available on a loan deal from one of the continent’s top leagues and the other representing a considerably cheaper permanent option to the Paraguayan international.
OPINION
The pursuit of Miguel Almiron is slowly becoming something of a saga, and that will worry Newcastle fans. The money is supposedly available to complete a deal, but once again it could be Mike Ashley’s tardiness and unwillingness to spend big that stops them from getting their man. The fact that a contingency plan has been put in place would suggest that a deal looks a lot less certain than it did a week ago, and it would be typical of Ashley to try and find a cheaper alternative, even if that means sacrificing some quality in the process. The Magpies cannot afford to gamble with their Premier League survival year after year, and need to start making moves to reestablish themselves as a force in the Premier League. Frustration at the club has grown so massively in recent times that if they were to go down again, fans would be justified in voting with their feet, and that could be disastrous for the club. Ashley needs to invest in the short term to save the Toon Army in the long term.