'Failed' - Fresh £30m Newcastle United transfer claim made after rejected bid

Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Miguel Almiron is reportedly set to stay at Newcastle United, despite attracting strong interest from the Saudi Pro League.

The Magpies' chances of making a new signing before Thursday's January transfer deadline is dependent on selling a senior star. The Paraguayan is among the players to have been linked with an exit with Al Shabab leading the chase for his signature.

Although Eddie Howe has expressed his hopes of keeping Almiron and other first-teamers such as Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier, the Newcastle boss has admitted there's "possibility someone could leave".

But that is unlikely to be Almiron, according to The Guardian. It's claimed Al Shabab have failed to reach an agreement with the Magpies, who rejected an initial £17million offer last week. The asking price was said to be £30m.

The Saudi Arabian transfer window closes tonight and Almiron is expected to be back in squad for the Premier League trip to Aston Villa. The winger missed Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup fourth win at Fulham because of illness.

Retaining Almiron's services will please Howe. When asked what his ideal scenario is during the remaining days of the window, the 46-year-old said: “Keeping the squad intact, as the manager, trying to produce a team to win games would be the one for me.

"But we are guardians of the club’s future and we want to make the right decisions for the club. We don’t want to breach FFP. That is where I will support the decisions that are made for the long term and that will benefit the club.”

Almiron signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract at Newcastle in February last year during a season where he scored 11 goals. He has netted five times this term with his opener against Paris Saint-Germain seeing him become the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer to score in the Champions League.

The interest from Saudi is likely to return in the summer. NewcastleWorld understands Allan Saint-Maximin's Al Ahli, who are one of four SPL clubs owed by Newcastle's majority owners PIF, are admirers of Almiron.