Miguel Almiron has signed a new contract at Newcastle United and hopes to have further cause to celebrate after the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
Almiron joined Newcastle from Atlanta United in January 2019, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal that was to expire at the end of next season.
Signed by Rafael Benitez, who soon left the club, Almiron initially struggled to replicate the form that had made him such a star in MLS.
His first Premier League goal did not come until December 2019, and he had netted only nine times in the competition heading into this campaign.
But Almiron has been a key man in an impressive Newcastle team under Eddie Howe, and is their top scorer with 10 goals in the league.
He has earned a three-and-a-half-year contract that will add two years to his previous agreement and keep him on Tyneside until 2026.
Newcastle are fifth in the Premier League, with a game in hand over fourth-placed Tottenham, and will face Manchester United in a Wembley final this weekend.
For Almiron, apart from the extension, playing a role in the club's first domestic cup win in 68 years would be reward for years of toil.
"The truth is that I've worked really hard since I came to Newcastle to improve my level and to be where I am at the moment," he said upon signing his contract.
"I also thank the staff and my team-mates, who have helped me a lot during these four years. I think this is a reward for that hard work, and I am very happy.
"On Sunday, we have a very important match, and while the new contract makes me really happy, the most important thing is that we celebrate this contract with a victory on Sunday."
Almiron is yet to score in the EFL Cup this season but provided assists in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Sessegnon rejoins boyhood club Fulham after Tottenham departure
Ryan Sessegnon has resigned for Fulham on a free transfer, five years after leaving the club.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Cottagers with the option to extend for a further year following his departure from Tottenham last month.
In his first spell at the club, Sessegnon worked his way through the academy over 11 years, scoring 25 goals in 120 first-team appearances.
He then moved to Spurs in a £25million deal in 2019, though struggled to nail down a place in North London, making just 57 appearances in all competitions, and scoring three goals.
"It's amazing to be back. Emotional, as well," he told FFCtv. "It's where it started for me, where everything began, and it's amazing to be back.
"It will always be home for me. I think it had the feeling that it was meant to be, coming back here, so I'm delighted to get it done."
Sessegnon is Fulham's first signing of the transfer window, though they have seen plenty of first-team departures already, with Joao Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all leaving the club.
Eriksen in 'no rush' to decide Man Utd future
Christian Eriksen says he is in "no rush" to decide his future despite going into the final year of his contract at Manchester United.
Eriksen joined the Red Devils in 2022, making 28 appearances in the Premier League in his first season, though an injury in January 2023 put a halt to his impressive start to life at Old Trafford.
Following Kobbie Mainoo's breakout season last year, Eriksen dropped down the pecking order at United as he made just 12 starts in his 22 league appearances, scoring just once and assisting two goals.
Some reports suggest Eriksen could be heading out on loan to former club Ajax for the final year of his contract, but he insisted he is satisfied in Manchester.
"I am really happy at United," he said. "I have had two very good years and am going into my third.
"It is a special club and a special place. Also, my family is settled in Manchester, so I am in no rush.
"Obviously, I want to play as much as possible and do everything I can. But that is nothing to do with the club - it is up to you and the manager.
"But in terms of how I feel, I feel very good at United."
Man Utd transformation will not occur 'overnight', says Maguire
Harry Maguire has warned Manchester United supporters their fortunes may not change "overnight" ahead of the Red Devils' first season under the Jim Ratcliffe regime.
INEOS founder Ratcliffe assumed control of football operations when he bought a 25% stake in the club, with his part-takeover being formally ratified earlier this year.
United have since gone about constructing a new football hierarchy, appointing Dan Ashworth as sporting director and Omar Berrada as chief executive.
They were widely expected to part ways with manager Erik ten Hag after finishing eighth in the Premier League last term, but the Dutchman was instead handed a new contract after guiding them to an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
United have spent an estimated £88million to bring in striker Joshua Zirkzee and centre-back Leny Yoro ahead of Ten Hag's third season in charge, but Maguire has warned patience will be required as they bid to return to title contention.
"I don't think we will go from finishing eighth in the league to winning all the trophies overnight," Maguire told BBC Sport.
"But I do think we are moving in the right direction now and the decisions that have been made at the top will help this club get back to where it should be."
Yoro's arrival has raised questions about Maguire's future, with Lisandro Martinez also hoping to play a heightened role after an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign.
Maguire was widely expected to leave Old Trafford last year but opted to fight for his place and was ultimately rewarded with regular gametime.
With Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all enduring disjointed seasons, Maguire managed more Premier League starts (18) and minutes (1,650) than any other United centre-back.
The Red Devils only kept four Premier League clean sheets when Maguire was involved, however, with their 58 goals conceded their most in any league campaign since 1978-79 (63).
He believes he proved his worth, saying: "There was a lot of uncertainty over my future last year but I sat down with the manager, he told me where I was at, said he believed in me and I would get chances.
"I proved last season when I got the chances I took them really well."
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