OPINION
Newcastle United have reportedly given up in their pursuit of Atlanta United attacker Miguel Almiron.
Paraguayan journalist Bruno Pont claimed via his personal Twitter account in December that Newcastle were on the verge of reaching an agreement to sign the 24-year-old for the January transfer window, however that deal now looks dead in the water.
According to Spanish news outlet El Gol Digital, Real Betis are going to try and negotiate a deal to sign the £25.2million-rated Paraguay international after Newcastle gave up their hunt for his signature.
Newcastle fans will go berserk over this news, especially as Mike Ashley is surely to blame for failing to give Rafa Benitez the money to go out and sign what could potentially be a game-changer for the Magpies.
Almiron has a superb 2018 season for MLS champions Atlanta, scoring 13 goals and supplying 13 assists in 38 appearances across all competitions.
He plays mainly as a No 10, but can also play up front or on the wing, so his creativity and eye for the goal could really have made a difference for goal-shy Newcastle.
However it seems as though Almiron will not be heading to Tyneside in the January transfer window because Ashley is refusing to fund a swoop for him, even though it would clearly be a deal that would benefit the side enormously.
Newcastle probably won’t get relegated this season because Benitez is a great manager, but the Spaniard’s deal expires at the end of the season and the chances of him agreeing new terms will surely have taken a hit if Ashley isn’t going to let him sign the players that he wants.
The Newcastle Chronicle has reported that Almiron is Benitez’s top target for January and that a lot of work has gone into trying to sign the 24-year-old.
It now looks as though all that time and effort was wasted, simply because Ashley won’t let it happen.