Almiron’s successful move from Atlanta to Newcastle United set off a chain reaction of transfers from MLS to the Premier League. The Chicago Fire’s Jhon Duran earned himself a move to Aston Villa, and Inter Miami’s Diego Gomez found a spot at Brighton. Just this week, New York City FC's 18-year-old left back Christian McFarlane scored a move to defending Premier League champion Manchester City. The Philadelphia Union's 15-year-old wunderkind Cavan Sullivan will join him there when he turns 18, too.
For all his influence on the league's direction, Almiron is still just 30. He has plenty of time left to write a new chapter in his MLS career. It will be fascinating to watch him do it with the club that made him.
Almiron's Atlanta return caps off a remarkable six months from the Georgia side that saw it evolve from an Eastern Conference also-ran to a genuine MLS Cup challenger. The team entered the 2024 season in dire straits, but it sold off its underperforming players, brought in some hardworking new ones and booked itself a spot in the playoffs on the final day of the season. From there, Atlanta pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MLS history by eliminating Inter Miami from MLS Cup contention.
