TOON-ING IN
Newcastle confirm first summer signing after pipping Barcelona, Real Madrid and Porto to Spanish wonderkid
A Toon star is being lined up by a newly-promoted side
NEWCASTLE have confirmed the signing of Spanish wonderkid Antonio Cordero.
SunSport revealed in January that the 18-year-old - dubbed 'Antoñito' - would reject a new deal at Malaga in favour of joining the Magpies on a free transfer.
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The Spaniard will arrive at St James' Park on 1st July - subject to obtaining a UK visa - upon the expiry of his contract, and is expected to spend his first season out on loan.
Real Madrid and Barcelona had held talks with the attacker, as did Porto, but he opted to pen a five-year deal to join Eddie Howe's side.
Cordero said: "It's truly an honour to be here, truly a pleasure. I am a person who likes to aspire high. Why not come to one of the best places in the world to do it.
“It's a big step, and that's one of the reasons I'm here. I'm happy to do it and have a great desire to get going already.”
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Strong reports from Cordero's homeland suggest he could make a return to Malaga next season, though boss Sergio Pellicer refused to be drawn on the situation when asked recently.
He said: "From the outside, it seems easy, but then it requires certain circumstances to make sense of everything - salary caps and other issues. It's up to the club to talk about it."
Cordero scored his first senior goal for the Andalusian giants in June 2024, bagging a last-gasp equaliser in a play-off final second leg to fire Malaga back in to the Segunda Division.
Upon confirmation of the signing, Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell said: "Antonio is an exciting talent. We’re delighted to bring him to Newcastle United amidst interest in Spain and across Europe.
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“He has lots of potential, and the next phase of his development will be for the club to select a loan move that will challenge him and build on his experiences.”
Cordero's arrival is set to be the first among a flurry of summer signings.
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Eddie Howe maintains an interest in Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, but hopes of signing Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford have been hampered by his desire to join Man Utd.
And goalkeeper Nick Pope is being lined up by newly-promoted Leeds after the Yorkshire side missed out on Liverpool's Caoimhin Keller.
Meanwhile Sandro Tonali has nailed his Black and White colours to the mast and committed his future to Newcastle.
The Italian midfielder, 25, was one of Newcastle’s top performers this term as they lifted the Carabao Cup and secured Champions League qualification.
Despite that, there have been constant reports from his homeland that he would be heading back to former club Milan, who sold him to the Magpies for £55m in 2023, this summer.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are two others linked while Juventus are the latest side said to be chasing him.
Tonali, however, has shut down any transfer noise and insists he is going nowhere as he wants to repay the club for the support they showed him during his ban.
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He said: “I’m happy where I am now. I’ve found people who care about me, and I care about them. I don’t want to break any of the bonds I’ve built.
“I’ve had a lot of thoughts every day, but right now, I’m happy where I am.”
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