Former Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones has described Newcastle’s club-record signing Miguel Almiron as “an animal”.
Newcastle’s record signing Almiron was due to train with his team-mates for the first time on Wednesday after being awarded his work permit.
And Jones – who knows Almiron from his time in America with Atlanta United – has tipped the forward to be a huge success at St James’ Park.
“Miguel loves football,” he said in an interview with the Chronicle. “In the beginning, he was very quiet but on the field he’s an animal. He always want the ball and wants to win every game.”
The playmaker is understood to have cost the Magpies in the region of £21million after a prolonged January pursuit which went close to the wire.
His name was at the top of manager Rafael Benitez’s wish-list as he attempted to strengthen his squad ahead of a final push for Premier League survival.
Almiron could get his chance when the Magpies head for high-flying Wolves on Monday evening.
His capture represented a significant shift in a saga which has dogged the club in the last year or so, with owner Mike Ashley refusing to spend heavily in the transfer market while interested parties sought to put together workable takeover plans, and Benitez declining to sign a contract extension without assurances over the current regime’s ambition.
