The £12m reason why Miguel Almiron is now under even more pressure at Newcastle United

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Whether he stays at Newcastle United or goes, Miguel Almiron is in an extremely difficult position.

The 30-year-old made his first pre-season appearance on Wednesday, coming off the bench as Newcastle United beat Urawa Red Diamonds 4-1 in Japan.

It was a first runout of the summer for Miguel Almiron, at a time when he is being linked with a move away from the club.

Almiron is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, and it has previously been claimed that Newcastle United are willing to sell the Paraguayan. However, Eddie Howe has admitted that he would like to keep Almiron.

All the while, Toon officials are aiming to sign a right winger. Whoever arrives will be brought in to improve the starting XI, which will push Almiron down the pecking order.

However, that is already an issue for Miggy regardless of whether a new attacker joins the club.

Miguel Almiron’s teammate thriving in pre-season

While Almiron’s pre-season has only just started, it is a different story for Jacob Murphy.

The £12million man has started every Newcastle game so far, and is performing brilliantly.

He scored twice in Wednesday’s win over Urawa Red Diamonds, taking his pre-season tally to four. Murphy has been the star of the summer, and is cementing his place in the Newcastle United starting XI ahead of Almiron.

Murphy has been decisive in key moments, which is not something you could say about Almiron. While Murphy scored two on Wednesday, Almiron barely had a kick.

The speedster struggled to get involved after coming on at half time, failing to make any kind of impact. Even 17-year-old Trevan Sanusi made more of an impression in black and white.

The form of Murphy is putting Almiron under even more pressure, as it means he will be the club’s third choice right winger if he stays and someone else joins. That may even push him closer towards the exit door, with regular first-team minutes vital at this stage of Almiron’s career.

Eddie Howe delighted with Jacob Murphy so far

While Almiron was fairly quiet against Urawa Red Diamonds, Howe was delighted with what he saw from Murphy.

He spoke about Murphy to NUFC TV after the game, praising the 29-year-old for his early pre-season form.

“He scored two good goals,” he said.

“I think he’s been one of the standout performers for us in pre-season. He’s always a really diligent team player, but the goals and assists he has added in pre-season has really made him stand out.”