Ross Wilson in advanced talks to sign £30m star

Newcastle United hit their lowest ebb under Eddie Howe this season, but now, they are determined to put things to rights and return to title-challenging heights after the summer break.

Calling it a ‘break’ is somewhat disingenuous, to be said. Howe and technical director Ross Wilson are fighting tooth and nail to make the right changes this summer and guide the Magpies back onto higher ground following their £13th-place finish in the Premier League.

Aaron Ramsdale’s loan spell has finished, and 20-year-old shot-stopper Ewan Jaouen has already been signed as his replacement. A senior goalkeeper – such as Manchester City’s James Trafford – could be signed if Nick Pope leaves.

However, fans are hungering for an attacking addition, someone with flair and skill and energy. The new Hatem Ben Afra, perhaps?

Newcastle advancing in move for Gordon replacement

With Anthony Gordon no longer on Newcastle’s books, Howe’s frontline is decidedly lacking in flair and top-class attacking quality. How to fix that?

The Magpies have something of a conundrum at number nine: Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa were both signed last summer to replace Alexander Isak, but neither enjoyed a good season in the Premier League.

Last year’s bungled deals still live fresh in Howe’s memory, but he might have an excellent long-term solution in Osasuna winger Victor Munoz.

Munoz is Newcastle’s top target to replace Gordon, and The Northern Echo have confirmed that talks for the Spain international’s signature are advancing with ‘significant progress’ made in the deal late last week.

Technical director Ross Wilson is looking to close the deal swiftly, but the winger’s participation at the World Cup makes reaching the finish line with rapidity somewhat difficult.

The player possesses a £34.5m release clause in his contract but it is widely thought the Toon will be able to complete a move for around £30m.

A product of Real Madrid’s youth academy, Los Blancos have turned down the opportunity to re-sign Munoz this summer. The door has been left ajar for Newcastle.

Why Munoz can be Newcastle’s new Ben Afra

Ben Afra was a one-of-a-kind sort of player. Individual brilliance was his forte, but consistency was not.

The former France international scored 14 goals and supplied 16 assists across 86 appearances for Newcastle, though it was his pace and ball-carrying ability that has left an indelible mark on English football.

In Munoz, Newcastle could sign a new and improved version, someone who has the substance and depth to replace Gordon, while also boasting the X-factor to remind Toon fans why they love this club so much.

The 22-year-old Munoz has not found his Midas touch in front of goal, but he has made startlingly fast progress in his homeland, described as “one of the pearls of Spanish football” by La Liga expert Phil Minshull.

He is already hitting the same beats as Gordon, but Spanish viewers would tell you that Munoz is even more exciting a winger, darting this way and that, winning so many duels and raising supporters from their seats. In that, there is certainly something Ben Afra-esque about him.

This is a rising star with the potential to become an even more clinical force than Gordon in Newcastle’s senior set-up. When considering his fleet-footedness and elegance on the ball, though he might be more accurately compared to a maverick such as Ben Afra.

Ben Afra was a player of brilliance, conjuring up magic on the ball that other players couldn’t even dream of. If Munoz joined Newcastle this summer, that could be refined and streamlined in Howe’s system.

If all this is realised, Newcastle could hit the jackpot ahead of the new campaign, maybe even developing Howe’s attacking system to a standard that we haven’t see over the past few years.