Following his arrival at Atlanta United prior to the start of the 2017 MLS season, Miguel Almiron lit the league up. He was one of the main stars of the side, along with Josef Martinez, as they won the MLS Cup in 2018 with the Paraguayan scoring 12 goals and assisting 13 more during the campaign. Although it was amidst the lower quality of US football, Almiron stood out, and it seemed only a matter of time before a European side snapped him up.

It therefore came as no shock when he got his move in January of this year. What was surprising, however, was that Newcastle United won the race to sign him, especially considering they parted with £20m to bring him to the Premier League according to the Panini Tabloid.

For a lot of clubs, that sum would represent pocket change, but not for the Toon as it set a new club-record transfer fee. It had previously been set by the capture of Michael Owen in 2005 from Real Madrid, for whom they had paid £17m and therefore taken them over 13 years to break their highest fee, but for some clubs such a milestone is a near-annual occurrence. The fee paid for Owen is lower than the highest paid by all but two of last year’s 20 Premier League clubs.

As such, it was a big deal for Newcastle, and a lot was expected of the attacking midfielder. But, whilst he impressed with his performances, he flattered to deceive from a numbers point of view. In his 10 games in the Premier League following his arrival, he failed to register a single goal or assist. Next season, he will need to do a lot more to prove he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League.

The transfer record may soon be broken again, of course. Recent reports suggest that the Bin Zayed group may soon purchase the club from Mike Ashley and while there is no guarantee they will spend lavishly, if the example set by fellow Sheikh owners at Manchester City is anything to go by, Newcastle fans shouldn’t be waiting another 13 years to see a record purchase.