Charlotte FC in talks to sign Newcastle's Almiron

Charlotte FC have opened talks with Newcastle to sign Paraguay winger Miguel Almiron.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) team are managed by former Aston Villa, Leicester and Brentford boss Dean Smith.

Almiron spent two seasons in the MLS at Atlanta United, where he won the MLS Cup, before joining Newcastle for a then club record fee of about £20m in January 2019.

He has scored 30 goals in 209 appearances for Newcastle across all competitions.

The Magpies are believed to be open to selling Almiron, who has previously been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

The secondary MLS transfer window closes on 14 August.

Charlotte also signed former Fulham centre-back Tim Ream last week.