‘The most likely’… Sky journalist shares the Newcastle player most at risk of leaving this month

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Journalist Keith Downie has shared who he thinks is the most likely Newcastle United player to be sold this month.

We’re getting to the business end of the January window and three Newcastle players are rumoured to be wanted by other clubs with Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron all named as possible departures.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Good Morning Transfers, Downie claimed that he thinks Almiron is the most likely player to leave Newcastle by the end of the month.

Downie says Almiron is Newcastle’s best option

The news broke yesterday that Al-Shabab were interested in signing Almiron permanently in January, though it appears the two clubs valuations of the player are too far apart at the moment.

Regardless, there is still the potential of a sale if they can come to an agreement which would mean Newcastle could bring in a new face before the window shuts.

Downie believes out of the three, Almiron would be the best option partly because he’s been at the club for five years now so his fee is ‘all paid up’ and anything they can get for him would massively help the clubs budget.

However, he also acknowledged that the winger is a key part of Eddie Howe’s team and not someone the head coach will want to lose, especially in the middle of the season, so it will be a tough decision for the Magpies.

On possible sales, Downie said: “I think of the three players you mentioned, Trippier, Almiron and Callum Wilson, I think Almiron is the most likely player to leave this window.

“The talks have centred around an exit for the Paraguayan are for a permanent move and I think he has a fairly high value in the market due to the fact he is an international, he is just 29 years old and Newcastle have had him for five years so his fee is all paid up. It would help Newcastle financially if they were able to get a player like that off their books and then reinvest.

“I don’t think Eddie Howe will want to lose this player, he is one of the first names on the team sheet, what he puts in in terms of his work off the ball is crucial to what Newcastle do and in terms of that position on the right wing he is the only fit player, so it would leave a hole in their squad but if they were able to sell him before the deadline, and have a couple of days to work in, they might try and get a replacement in for Almiron.”

Almiron is most replaceable for Newcastle

Almiron’s best qualities are probably his seemingly endless ability to run himself into the ground and his high intensity pressing from the front which has been so successful for Newcastle in the past.

However, while those are brilliant qualities to have in a team who so often defends from the front, he simply isn’t good enough in the final third for an attacker.

It would be easier to find a player of higher quality who can also press from the front than it would be to find someone with same skillset as Trippier or a quality striker like Wilson who is willing to play second string to Alexander Isak.

It may not come to fruition, but Almiron does feel like Newcastle’s best option at recouping funds for a new player and is the most replaceable of the three.