Miguel Almirón stated he appears like he is “at residence” now that he is returning to Atlanta United.
Almirón’s $12.5 million transfer from Premier League aspect Newcastle United was formally introduced on Thursday. He arrived to a hero’s welcome at Hartsfield Worldwide Airport on Thursday night time, signing autographs, taking photos with followers, and listening to followers chant, “Miggy, Miggy.”
“I really feel at residence,” he stated throughout a convention name with reporters with the assistance of a translator. “Particularly final night time, the welcome was very nice and it was nice to see it and I really feel like I am residence.”
The transfer comes six years after he left the 5 Stripes for the brilliant lights of the Premier League. After some early struggles, Almirón endeared himself to the Newcastle followers via his work price and tenacity. His peak got here through the 2022-23 season when he scored 11 objectives in 41 video games throughout all competitions.
“I believe the followers in Newcastle additionally handled me very well,” he stated. “I believe it is the identical degree of affection that I’ve acquired from each fan bases. I am all the time going to be grateful to the Newcastle followers for that, for my time throughout my six years there. However that is the identical type of respect and affection that I really feel from the followers right here in Atlanta.”
When Almirón departed in 2018, the Paraguay worldwide’s dynamic runs down the wing had been what caught the attention. Now 30, Almirón feels that Atlanta is getting an much more rounded participant than when he left.
“I believe within the six years that I used to be in England, that have helped,” he stated. “I believe I’ve matured and I believe I am going to attempt to use that have. I am going to attempt to convey that to the group right here to attempt to assist the group within the ways in which I can. And I believe for these causes, additionally they introduced me again.”
Whereas Almirón spoke of how not a lot had modified with Atlanta United, one distinction is that the ahead with whom he linked so typically, Josef Martínez, has lengthy since departed, and is now with the San Jose Earthquakes. Almirón stated the 2 are nonetheless shut.
“I all the time communicate with him. He is one in every of my finest mates in soccer, so I’ve shared lots of issues with him and we discuss,” he stated. “This stuff occur in soccer. We take completely different paths as gamers. So after I left I used to be taking a special path to go to Newcastle … God keen, possibly we’ll discover a strategy to meet once more.”
