Paraguay and Atlanta United’s midfielder Miguel Almiron will be playing in the English Premier League after finalizing a move away from the MLS club for a club record fee on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old arrived at Newcastle on Wednesday to undergo a medical and finalize personal terms ahead of a permanent move estimated to be worth £20m. The amount will be the highest amount the premier league club has paid for a player since acquiring Michael Owen from Real Madrid for a fee of £16m in 2005.
“I knew before the game we were doing some business, so hopefully we have some good news,” club manager Rafael Benitez said after Newcastle beat Manchester City 2-1. Tuesday night.
“We are working on some things. If we have good news tomorrow it’s positive. It’s not about a record signing, you have to do the right things to stay up.”
Before the deal was finalized, there were reports the deal was off the table on Saturday. The player’s agent left England without a deal the same weekend and was shopping for a deal in Italy. On Tuesday, an agreement was reached and Almiron’s dreams of playing in the premier league were revived.
The Paraguay international scored 13 goals last season as Atlanta lifted the MLS title for the first time ever. He holds a record of 21 goals in 62 league appearances throughout his career, including while playing in his native country.