Atlanta United: Josef Martinez Newcastle United rumours wild

ATLANTA, GA AUGUST 011: Atlanta's Josef Martinez (7) acknowledges the crowd after he scored a first half goal during the MLS match between New York City FC and Atlanta United FC on August 11th, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA AUGUST 011: Atlanta's Josef Martinez (7) acknowledges the crowd after he scored a first half goal during the MLS match between New York City FC and Atlanta United FC on August 11th, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez is reportedly a target of Newcastle United, just a year after Miguel Almiron made the same move. The rumours are wild, to say the least.

Atlanta United have a very clear roster construction strategy. It was modelled beautifully by Miguel Almiron and his progress into the club and ultimately out the other side two years later.

Atlanta United president Darren Eales, owner Arthur Blank and the entire organisation has bought into this plan: sign and invest in young, talented players, primarily from South America, develop them within the club, provide them with an opportunity to play senior football in MLS, and then look to sell them to European teams for a healthy profit, before moving onto the next prospect.

Almiron was the perfect embodiment of this. Signed for an MLS-record transfer fee, the then 22-year-old was viewed as a crucial piece of the expansion side’s team. While, for Almiron, this was a chance to start for a senior team, to put himself in the shop window as he looked to secure a European move later in his career. And two years later, that is precisely what happened.

But this is not a one-time thing. Atlanta United want to repeat this process. But there are specific players they are willing to sell — perhaps because they promised that they would sell them when they initially signed them — and others that they are less so happy to sell. While Almiron was a part of that former group, his former partner, Josef Martinez, is most certainly not.

Martinez, another young South American talent who came to Atlanta in the same offseason as Almiron, has turned into one of the greatest MLS players of the recent era. Last season’s MVP, two seasons of 25-plus goals, one of the most prolific scoring rates in the history of the league, the Venezuelan has been utterly sensational. And now he, like Almiron, is attracting interest from Europe. And like Almiron, it is Newcastle United allegedly leading the race.

According to English outlet Chronicle Live, who are well connected with the Premier League club, Newcastle United are very interested in pairing Almiron with Josef once more. However, these links are difficult to believe, and there are many reasons for all parties.

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First and foremost, Martinez loves Atlanta. He committed his long-term future to the club last offseason, signing a new five-year deal. He has publicly stated of his love for the organisation, the city and the people. Whereas Almiron always had a clear intention to make a European move after his time in Atlanta, Martinez has not as explicitly expressed those same career goals.

Even more pertinently, Atlanta are not in a position where they must sell. Unlike with Almiron where an exit was always the anticipated result and a Designated Player slot needed to be opened up with Gonzalo Martinez already signed to replace the Paraguayan, that same pressure to sell is not present with Josef. This will only drive the price up, far above the $25 million or so that Newcastle paid for Almiron.

And then there is the Newcastle perspective. Not only did they spend significantly on Almiron last January; they then went and broke their club-record transfer fee six months later by signing Joelinton, a centre-forward for £40 million. So why would they then plough a similar figure into yet another striker?

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Maybe there is interest there. I do not want to doubt the reporting of a well-connected publication. But there are lots of reasons to question the validity of the interest here. So, for now, Atlanta United fans need not worry.