Transfer surprise! Saudi club Al-Shabab strike agreement to sign Miguel Almiron from Newcastle as Magpies look to balance the books

The two parties have come to an initial agreement over the winger, according to Ben Jacobs. Although there is no deal in place yet, Almiron is said to be willing to make the switch to the mid-table Saudi club.

Newcastle need to raise funds in order to make any signings in the January transfer window, having posted eye-watering losses of £73.4 million ($93.6m) for the last tax year. Plenty of their big-name players have subsequently been linked with a January exit, including Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson. Almiron's name hadn't been in the headlines, but it seems he could be the first to depart.

Almiron is approaching his five-year anniversary with Newcastle and is something of a cult hero on Tyneside. He had his best campaign to date in 2022-23, making 15 goal contributions as he enjoyed a hot streak. However, he hasn't been able to recapture his best form this time around and will perhaps be viewed as an expendable asset given Newcastle's precarious financial situation.

This seems like a feasible deal on paper, and the Magpies will be keen to extract a significant transfer fee from their wealthy Saudi counterparts. Should he make the move, Almiron would join ex-Atletico Madrid attacker Yannick Carrasco at Al-Shabab.