Newcastle in club-to-club talks to sign £35m winger

Newcastle United’s marked shift in strategy means Eddie Howe is heading into uncharted waters – but the potential is massive on Tyneside after a frustrating year.

After finishing 12th in the Premier League last year, Newcastle will not play in Europe next season, leading to a wealth of players angling for the exit.

Anthony Gordon has already been sold to Barcelona for an initial £69m, but that departure eases the Magpies’ financial burdens and gives technical director Ross Wilson the kitty to strengthen across multiple positions at St. James’ Park.

A deal for young French goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen is steering toward completion, but Gordon’s exit calls for a new left-sided forward and Howe and Wilson are already on the case.

Newcastle in talks to sign Gordon replacement

All in all, the deal to sell Gordon to Barcelona was amicable and acceptable. Last summer, Alexander Isak’s record-breaking move to Liverpool was not.

The England winger, 25, has given his all to Tyneside over the past three-and-a-half years, but 12 goals shared across his past two Premier League seasons emphasises the need for reinforcements in attack.

Gordon has been let down by Newcastle’s misfiring strikers, in a way, but he has also failed to hit his potential as a goalscorer in the Premier League. Change might well be a good thing.

According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Newcastle are still in talks with Osasuna over a summer deal for Victor Munoz, who is viewed as a direct Gordon replacement.

The 22-year-old is valued at £35m, and this could end up being an astute piece of business indeed for a Spain international who has touched down in America for the World Cup, and who has the perfect skillset to establish himself as Newcastle’s star winger.

Why Munoz can become Newcastle’s main man

Munoz, it’s worth noting, has not yet developed into a free-scoring winger, but his potential is unquestionable, with the underlying data to suggest that he can step into Gordon’s boots.

With Harvey Barnes offering a more direct goalscoring threat, this could be a fine balance for Howe to work with, Munoz in good stead to emerge as Newcastle’s star winger, eclipsing Barnes, Anthony Elanga and Jacob Murphy.

Murphy, 31, has been a stalwart for Newcastle and Howe, but his colourful purple patches have dried up over the past year, and while he remains an innately creative player, his physical and athletic metrics have left far too much to be desired.

Provided he continues to work on his output, Munoz could eclipse him, bringing a sharpness of a kind that Barnes brings while also instilling far more nuance and dynamism across Howe’s frontline. Such elements have been decidedly lacking over the past year.

Turkish journalist Burak Eren believes that Munoz’s “potential is off the charts”, and whether he ends up plying his trade on the left or right flank at Newcastle, there’s no question that he could outstrip the current options at Howe’s disposal.

Newcastle are hardly riding the crest of a wave under Howe’s wing right now, but they have survived a difficult campaign, and a refocused summer strategy could bear dividends, rewiring an attacking line-up with an emergent star like Munoz.

It’s telling that Munoz has already been drafted into Spain’s international set-up. This summer, La Roja has considered favourites to lift the iconic golden trophy.

Much of this owe’s to Roja’s strength and energy on the ball. He’s getting into plenty of promising positions in the danger area, unleashing plenty of shots on goal. The reward will come, though it’s hard to argue that the ageing Murphy will recover top output in front of goal again.

An adventurous forward, Munoz’s enterprise doesn’t always pay off, but he should not be discouraged in his desire to make things happen and raise fans from their seats in the process.

Crucially, he is one of only several attacking midfielders in Europe who contribute toward more than 30% of their team’s attacks. Lamine Yamal leads the way there at 38%.

Newcastle need to get this deal over the line. Gordon’s sale was acceptable, but if Newcastle fail to effectively replace the Three Lions superstar, it will feel like groundhog day on Tyneside.