Darren Eales' Atlanta United developments that hint at Newcastle United's future

Darren Eales joins Newcastle United next month having left his mark on the MLS with Atlanta United. The soon to be Magpies CEO has helped revolutionise the American game with a smart business model that saw the Five Stripes win the MLS Cup just four years after their formation.

The emphasis on developing young players with a view to selling for profit, whilst also improving the club's overall standing was a huge success in the early years. Miguel Almiron was one of those players sold for huge profit but the club has struggled in recent seasons.

The MLS rules mean that there's a large turnover in players most seasons, with a core group of players remaining each year. Newcastle's recent transfer activity in acquiring Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman hints a the long-term vision at the club, whilst also improving the current squad of players.

Speaking to the New York Times, Eales gave an insight into the vision he could replicate at St. James' Park. Speaking in 2019, he said: "When we went out and built the club, our intention was to be clear with the fans from the very start. We were going to attract players who were young, or going toward the prime of their career, rather than a last contract or a last hurrah for a player from Europe.

"The idea here is, we’re part of this global network of soccer clubs. Miggy came to us, he had two fantastic years, won the M.L.S. Cup in the second season, had tremendous success on the pitch, and then he got a chance to fulfil his dream to go to the Premier League and play for a club there.

"So obviously, it was good for him, good for the league, because now the league can say, ‘We have a mechanism for you to showcase yourself, so come to M.L.S., play in a short window, and when the