OPINION
Increasingly, in the money-oriented world of modern football, a signing is made not just for their potential to boost a side on the pitch, but the enhance their commercial prospects off of it.
How many times have players of borderline abilities rocked up in the Premier from far-flung and exotic climes with the convenient caveat that they will boost a club’s presence in a particular corner of the globe? A fair bit, is the answer.
What’s even better, however, is signing a player who just happens to make you a lot of money because he’s good at football.
Take Miguel Almiron, for instance. The Paraguayan has revitalised Newcastle United since signing from the MLS in January, and it just so happens that his eye-catching performances have led to a flurry of shirt sales with his name plastered across the back.
In fact, according to the Chronicle, Almiron’s is the most requested name and number on shirts bought since his arrival.
Miguel Almiron is already paying back his record transfer fee off the field #nufc https://t.co/cQDE9WwdcT pic.twitter.com/6Bot2tHIKc
— The Chronicle (@ChronicleNUFC) April 1, 2019
That’s hardly surprising, given his profile and the excitement of signing a record transfer after 14 years, but it does show that the 24-year-old will be worth his weight in gold to Mike Ashley.
Ultimately, the Sports Direct owner doesn’t like foreign out unless he has to. There was never any way that he was going to sign a player of Almiron’s stature unless he was going to get something out of it in return.
Premier League survival is a pretty big lure, but it certainly won’t have hurt that the South American was always going to fetch a pretty packet in revenue just by being at the club.
Maybe it’s a cynical perspective, or maybe it’s just business, but no prizes for guessing who Ashley’s favourite Toon hero is right now.
