Newcastle United have identified four potential replacements for Barcelona-bound Anthony Gordon, according to reports.
The I Paper has named Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Osasuna’s Victor Munoz, Lyon’s Malick Fofana and Real Betis’s Abde Ezzalzouli as targets for the Magpies.
Fernandez-Pardo can play either as a winger or a striker, with the Belgian having scored 8 goals and provided 7 assists this season.
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Munoz, meanwhile, had a similar number of goal involvements for Osasuna in Spain (7 goals and 5 assists), and he is just a year older (22).
Fofana attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea last summer, but he has suffered injury problems over the last twelve months.
Ezzalzouli might be the standout option
The Moroccan international has had a breakthrough campaign, scoring 15 times and contributing 10 assists in 43 matches for Betis.
It is believed that Ezzalzouli also has a release clause in his contract worth €60m (£52m), but he could well be on the market for less than that.
Reports suggest that Betis might consider offers in the region of €40m (£35m) to €50m (£43m). That would leave a fair amount left over from the €80m (£69m) raised from Gordon‘s sale.
Why Newcastle United decided to sell Gordon now
Some fans may question the price that the Magpies agreed with Barcelona for the England international. The La Liga champions are also set to pay his fee over the length of his contract.
It doesn’t seem like a particularly great deal on paper. However, the club are said to have learned lessons from the Alexander Isak saga last summer.
Deciding to sell the Swedish international so late in the transfer window led to a scramble to find a replacement. Mistakes were made as a result.
Allowing Gordon to leave helps balance the books for Financial Fair Play, while giving the recruitment team the opportunity to secure the right signing.
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