PIF plotting Newcastle move for £50m Almiron replacement

Newcastle United will be hoping for a strong run of form over the festive period. The Magpies have had a poor start to the season, languishing in 12th place in the Premier League after 15 games, with just 20 points to their name.

Certainly, Eddie Howe might be disappointed with the performances of some of his players in front of goal. Not all of his attacking stars have performed, with Alexander Isak the only player to break the ten goal involvement mark so far. Worryingly, centre-back Fabian Schar is their third top scorer in all competitions.

Magpies supporters will surely be desperate for the performance levels of some of his players to pick up soon. Someone else who has underwhelmed when he has played is Miguel Almiron.

Almiron’s stats this season

It has been an incredibly poor campaign so far for Paraguayan winger Almiron. The 30-year-old has been devoid of opportunities this term, playing just eight games in all competitions, and starting once in the Premier League.

The former Atlanta United man has played just 270 minutes in all competitions so far this term. That includes 19 minutes in the top flight, with 68 of those coming in his only start away to Chelsea. Even when the winger gets a chance, he fails to impress; Almiron has yet to score or assist in 2024/25.

It will surely be a concern for Howe that Almiron is not contributing. Although his role is very much as a squad player, he has shown in the past that he can chip in with goals and assists, including scoring 11 times in 34 Premier League games in 2022/23.

Howe will be hoping that Almiron, once the Magpies’ most expensive signing at £21m from Atlanta United, can rediscover his best form.

However, with limited opportunities, it seems like the winger could depart the club, with Newcastle – backed by the Saudi PIF -already focusing on a replacement from within the Premier League.

Newcastle’s search for a winger

The player in question here is Nottingham Forest man Anthony Elanga. According to a report from journalist Joel Bland, “it’s pretty likely there’ll be a push made” to sign the Swede in January, should Almiron depart. Bland states that Newcastle “retain interest” in the player after wanting to sign him in the summer.

At this stage, it is unclear how much he would cost, but a bid of £50m from the North Eastern side was turned down on the final day of the summer window. He could cost around the same price as Newcastle’s other right-wing target, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.

Interestingly, he and Elanga are statistically similar on FBref, showing exactly what Newcastle’s thinking is when targeting a new right-winger; powerful runners who are creative in the final third and strong ball carriers.

In terms of that statistical comparison, both players have impressive ball-carrying numbers. Elanga averages three progressive carries per 90 minutes, with Mbeumo slightly fewer with 2.82.

The pair will bring a creative influence in the final third, with the Nottingham Forest number 21 playing 1.67 key passes each game, and the Cameroonian winger slightly more, at 1.74 per 90 minutes.

On the face of things, Elanga’s goals and assist numbers are not much better than Almiron’s stats. He has two assists in 15 top-flight games and is yet to score. However, he averages 0.17 expected assists each game and 0.33 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, showing efficiency in the final third.

Should PIF get this deal over the line, it could be an excellent piece of business. Not only would they be signing a player with Premier League quality, but someone who is just as good as Mbeumo and an upgrade on Almiron, as the goals and assist numbers show.

Elanga, called a “frightening” player by journalist Laurie Whitwell, could become an instant success on Tyneside and be a fantastic addition to Newcastle as they look to transform their season.