OPINION
There were many smiling faces on Tyneside when Newcastle United announced the club record signing of winger Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United on Thursday.
However, there will have been one or two in the Magpies locker room who were quietly fearful of the Paraguayan’s arrival, with Christian Atsu being chief among them.
The Ghanian has enjoyed something of a renaissance at St James’ Park of late, improving his form and benefitting from a change in system by manager Rafael Benitez. He and Ayoze Perez are both firmly entrenched as the two supporting players behind lone striker Salomon Rondon at the moment.
But, while Perez remains a favourite of the Spaniard’s, Atsu has had to fight tooth and nail for his place in the starting eleven. Plus, his performances, while improved, are not at the level where he’d be expected to keep Almiron out of the line up.
No, it is certainly the former Chelsea man who has the most to fear from Almiron’s arrival. The 24-year-old is, in essence, an improved version of Atsu. He is better on the ball, more dynamic, more creative and certainly more reliable.
Atsu is so inconsistent that Benitez surely tears what little’s left of his hair out watching him. Almiron, on the other hand, is a more reassuring presence, a playmaker who never fails to get the crowd off their feet.
Certainly, it looks from afar as though Atsu has been left out in the cold somewhat by the Paraguayan’s arrival. The pressure is on him to improve his form once again in order to justify a continuing spot in Benitez’s team.
However, Almiron’s arrival proves that Benitez wasn’t happy with what he was getting from his current batch of wingers, and Atsu in particular could now find himself on the outside looking in.
