Future Newcastle United player Antonio Cordero suffered heartbreak at the Under-19 European Championships on Thursday night, but fans have seen enough to get excited.
After a brilliant run in the tournament, which included a dramatic 6-5 win against Germany in the semi-finals, Spain’s Under-19s were not able to get the job done and lift the trophy in Romania.
Antonio Cordero was one of Spain’s big stars in the tournament, featuring in every game and running the show on the wing. Cordero is set to become a Newcastle United player in July after agreeing to sign on a free transfer from Malaga.
The tournament has been an opportunity for fans to see his quality in an environment which allows him to flourish, giving them a taste of what could be to come on Tyneside. Eddie Howe needs a right winger, but the plan is to loan Cordero out for the first season to get them used to a more competitive brand of football.
While it was heartache for Cordero and Spain, fans have one major request for the Newcastle boss ahead of the new season.
Antonio Cordero runs back to defend during an international game between Spain and Netherlands U19s.
Photo by Alexandra Fechete/MB Media/Getty Images
Newcastle United fans think Antonio Cordero can already play for the first team
Cordero is coming off the back of a brilliant season with Malaga, registering 12 goal involvements in the Segunda division.
It also appears that departing sporting director Paul Mitchell worked wonders with Cordero, getting him to reject Barcelona and Real Madrid to sign for the Magpies.
After his performances in the Under-19 Euros, Newcastle fans think he is ready for first-team football.
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“Shouldn’t be loaning him out, need to give the lad a chance man.” said one Newcastle fan, while another added: “Exciting prospect.”
This Newcastle fan thought Cordero was head and shoulders above his teammate, saying: “Spain’s best despite the result.”
“There is no doubt about it that Antonio Cordero has been a star performer in the tournament.” said this excited Newcastle fan.
Another Newcastle fan added: “Massive potential.”
Finally, this Newcastle United supporter said: “We need to start playing all our young talent, not loan them out.”
Newcastle United have a first-team pathway for Antonio Cordero
Despite his brilliant performances at the tournament, Cordero will definitely leave Newcastle on loan this summer. However, that does not mean that he will be banished from Newcastle’s first team.
With the academy on the rise, Newcastle have implemented a plan for their promising youngsters, which would see them find a way into the first-team or even the starting XI within 12-24 months.
It looked like Howe had implemented a similar plan for Yankuba Minteh, who spent his first season on loan at Feyenoord. However, Newcastle were forced to sell Minteh due to PSR issues, so fans never got to see him play for the club.
Hopefully, it will be a different case for Cordero, and the Spaniard can forge a fantastic career for himself on Tyneside. There is a lot of hype around the youngster, and performances in Romania have proven exactly why that is the case.