Almiron would fit at West Ham pretty well amiright?

I won’t apologize for that title, so let me get you up to date on West Ham’s latest transfer link, Miguel Almiron.

Currently playing for Atlanta United, Miguel Almiron is a speedy attacking midfielder who can pass at an elite level. His playmaking and finishing have helped Atlanta United, a newer MLS team, hit the ground running in their MLS career and solidified their number 1 table position in the Eastern Conference.

The stats are pretty impressive as well for Almiron. The attacking midfielder has played in 32 games this season for Atlanta and has scored 12 goals, adding 13 assists too. The well-rounded player sits in a central attacking midfield role, but can also be used in either a left or right wing position as needed.

At just 24 years of age, Almiron appears to be settling into the MLS well. Last season he played in 30 league games and scored 8 goals while assisting on 9 others. Almiron’s age is certainly a bonus, as he is just coming into the prime of his career, and now has two years of MLS experience under his belt.

The role he fills as an attacking midfielder is currently a position West Ham are shallow in, especially with Manuel Lanzini still months away from a return. Almiron offers the playmaking vision needed for a centrally based attacker, and the evasiveness and dribbling ability to be effective against stronger defenders.

West Ham are one possible suitor for Almiron as he was showcased in the 2018 MLS Allstar game against Juventus earlier this season. Rumors have linked Arsenal and Newcastle in the Premier League with Almiron while AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Fiorentina of Serie A have also shown interest in the player.

West Ham may have the upper hand in the player negotiations, however, as manager Manuel Pellegrini is active in the South American scouting networks and has already recruited a top-notch Paraguayan player.

Yes, outside of stellar defending Fabian Balbuena could well be West Ham’s biggest tool when recruiting his fellow Paraguayan international to come to East London. Balbuena was recently away with Paraguay in the international break with Almiron, and despite there being no matches for the team to play, there was an 8-day training camp where he was hopefully in Almiron’s ear spreading the gospel of Pellegrini, a fellow South American.

It would be a solid addition to West Ham’s attacking ranks, especially with the loss of Andriy Yarmolenko for the rest of the season. West Ham have struck gold with their first Paraguayan recruit, why not double down on the South American attacker?