19-year-old's difficult season has rare boost after Newcastle United transfer U-turn backfires
Newcastle United loan star Antonio Cordero put in a man-of-the-match display during a 2-2 draw for Cadiz.
A frustrating season for Antonio Cordero took a positive turn as the Newcastle United loan winger scored a brace for Cadiz in a 2-2 draw against Cultural Leonesa.
The 19-year-old winger joined Newcastle on a free transfer from Malaga last summer before joining Belgian side Westerlo on loan for the first half of the 2025/26 season.
After limited first-team opportunities, Cordero was recalled from his loan before being loaned out for a second time, this time to Cadiz in his native Spain.
A difficult loan move for Antonio Cordero
The hope was that the teenager would thrive once again in a familiar environment. But his return to Andalusia coincided with a remarkable downturn in Cadiz's form.
Cadiz sat sixth in the table with play-off hopes when Cordero made his debut back in January. But a run of two wins and 14 defeats in 18 games saw the side plunge to 18th in the table heading into the match against bottom club Cultural Leonesa on Saturday.
Cadiz went behind before a brace from Cordero put them 2-1 ahead, only for a 93rd-minute equaliser to deny them a much-needed three points. While the draw ended a run of seven straight defeats for Cadiz, it keeps them deep in the relegation picture with two games remaining.
They sit just three points above the relegation zone with promotion hopefuls Deportivo La Coruna and Castellon left to play.
Cordero’s brace marked his first goals of the season as he looks to help Cadiz avoid relegation before returning to Newcastle in pre-season. The teenager will be assessed further over the summer before a decision is made regarding his future.