Newcastle United broke their club record to add playmaking midfielder Miguel Almiron.
As you know by now, Newcastle United have broken their club transfer record to add Miguel Almiron from Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United. While a lot of experts are familiar with the 24-year-old attacking midfielder, there are Newcastle United supporters and pundits that may not be fully aware of his skill set. Thankfully, we have an America-based writer who has covered/followed Major League Soccer for years. Yes, that writer is me, so don’t worry, here’s a breakdown of exactly what you can expect from Miguel Almiron in the black and white.
Speed and Shiftiness
While Ayoze Perez isn’t the slowest player on the Newcastle roster, he does not have blazing pace. Almiron, on the other hand, has the type of speed that opponents must always be afraid of. He is able to move the ball from the midfield to the attack, not by pass, but by dribbling past midfielders that can’t match his pace.
He’s not overly muscular, so he relies on speed over strength when it comes to keeping possession. With Newcastle United often sitting back and waiting to counter-attack, Almiron will be lethal on the break, just as he was with Atlanta. He opens things up in the final third by beating his defender to the endline before squaring the ball or knifing into the penalty area.
Excited to see these skills at St. James' Park! pic.twitter.com/UKd1mcxhC2
— Real Name, No Gimmicks (@CarsonAMerk) January 30, 2019
Playmaking
In just two seasons in Major League Soccer, Almiron was able to tally 21 assists in 67 matches. Playing alongside Miggy, Josef Martinez broke the MLS single-season record for goals with 31. When it comes to assists, Almiron collects them in different fashions. He delivers quality corner kicks with his preferred left foot. As I mentioned before, he can get out on the counter-attack and eat up ground with his pace before rolling a ball to an oncoming teammate. With the wide-open offense of Atlanta United, he often found himself with quality chances but had teammates in better spots. His unselfishness allows him to be an elite playmaker.
As he moves to Newcastle United, his pace and vision will be able to open things up for Salomon Rondon and the other attacking players.
Key Stats
- Connected on 81% of his passes in both 2017 and 2018.
- Averaged over 40 passes per match and in the 2018 season, nearly three key passes each match for Atlanta.
- Of his 227 shots in his two MLS seasons, 111 of them came from outside the penalty area.
- Fouled 78 times in the 2018 season.
- Averaged 4.1 shots per game in 2018, fourth-best in Major League Soccer.