Ahead of Saturday’s MLS Cup matchup with the Portland Timbers, and with rumors of Miguel Almiron’s imminent departure for Newcastle United in January swirling, club president Darren Eales made clear that the Paraguayan international won’t come cheap.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Eales sounded off on the rumors surrounding his star player.
“I have seen some laughable things in the press, clearly we are never going to loan one of our players out and we are certainly not going to let them go for the ‘chump change’ that I have seen in some reports.”
This is in clear reference to Wednesday’s report from Paraguay national team reporter Roberto Rojas that stated Almiron was close to a move to Newcastle and that it could be for a loan.
Eales was nothing but complimentary, calling Almiron “far and away, the best player in the league.” He made clear, however, that the midfielder’s skill set won’t come cheap.
”If it’s a proper, serious offer then it’s something we would consider, but not for the laughable figures that I have seen mentioned in the press.”
He did say that the team would consider serious offers for both Almiron and newly-crowned MLS MVP Josef Martinez.
“The important thing is we have an owner that is 100 per cent behind the team and wants the team to win, and we have a fan base, so we have always said that if the right approach comes in - and it has to be the right offer for the player, the league, and most importantly the club - then we would consider it.”
The saga continues...