Newcastle accelerate talks to sign £35m star

Anthony Gordon made his first appearance since leaving Newcastle United in England’s 1-0 win over New Zealand in the first warm-up game leading up to the World Cup.

The flying winger completed a £70m move to Spanish giants Barcelona late last month after scoring 17 goals and providing five assists in all competitions for the Magpies this season.

However, Gordon didn’t show much to fans in his new home in the win over the Three Lions, coming on in the second half and contributing little to Thomas Tuchel’s side.

But Newcastle supporters have seen him fly down the wing at St James’ Park in the Premier League for the past three-and-a-half seasons and know he is capable of great things.

However, most of his damage came in the 2025/26 Champions League campaign for the Magpies, where he scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 12 games in the competition.

Newcastle United begin negotiations to sign La Liga forward

The 2023/24 season was Gordon’s best season in the Premier League during his time on Tyneside. That season, he played 35 games for coach Eddie Howe’s side, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists.

However, the 25-year-old winger has scored just six goals and provided two assists in the top flight this season, and the club are currently looking for the perfect star player to replace him.

According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United are interested in signing Osasuna winger Victor Munoz in the upcoming summer transfer window.

According to the paper, the Spain international, who will play in this summer’s World Cup, is a likely target to replace Gordon and is already in talks with the La Liga side.

He added that negotiations are expected to ramp up in earnest over the next few days as the Magpies look to secure an early deal for the winger rather than letting it drag out over the summer.

The Northern Echo can also reveal that the talented 22-year-old has a €40 million release clause in his contract, but Newcastle could be looking to negotiate an alternative deal with other teams also vying for his signature.

Why Victor Munoz is the perfect replacement for Anthony Gordon at Newcastle

Howe will be happy with the club’s hopes of progress in contract talks with Munoz in the coming days and weeks, as Munoz could become the next Gordon in the English manager’s league.

Without breaking record transfer fees and spending close to £100m on players, it will be difficult to sign a guaranteed star to replace an England international. Considering they just sold him for £70m and proven Premier League players come with a premium.

This means the Magpies have to be smart with their recruitment, and signing Munoz for £35m could be smart business based on his form at La Liga side Osasuna in 2025/26.

At face value, a return of six goals and two assists is comparable to Gordon’s record in the Premier League, but it’s not an outstanding performance, but some of his underlying stats suggest he’s capable of more.

Munoz’s xA suggests that his teammates’ poor finishing caused him to disappoint on the assist chart. He was one of the best creators in La Liga from wide positions, but he was only awarded the award twice.

Returning six goals from a 5.86 xG shows he is an efficient finisher and could potentially provide an even bigger threat in front of the team’s goal, giving him even more chances to find the back of the net.

Meanwhile, Muñoz’s impressive number of touches and successful dribbling inside the opposition box shows that he is good at getting into dangerous positions to be effective in the final third.

The Spaniard, like Gordon, is a quick winger who can carry his team up the pitch with the ball at his feet, using his explosive speed to constantly cause problems for opposition defences.

Munoz could therefore be the perfect signing to replace Gordon, as he is an up-and-coming talent with all the qualities to be Howe’s next superstar at St James’ Park.