Newcastle United have already agreed their first summer signing - set to be completed in June

Newcastle United are set to confirm their first summer signing next month.

The Magpies are understood to have beaten both Real Madrid and Barcelona to the signature of 18-year-old Malaga winger Antonio Cordero.

Cordero is out of contract this summer and has decided to leave the La Liga 2 club. He first held talks with Newcastle in January regarding a pre-contract agreement before later paying a visit to Tyneside with his family.

Who is Antonio Cordero?

Born in Jerez in southern Spain, Cordero was on the books at Cadiz, Sevilla and Real Betis before joining Malaga in 2021.

Cordero first broke into Malaga’s ‘B-team’ and caught the eye in the Spanish fifth tier - scoring 12 goals in 17 appearances. He has also been capped for Spain at under-18s and under-19s level.

The winger has since established himself as a regular in Malaga’s first team since making his debut in 2023. In 32 La Liga 2 appearances this campaign, he has scored six goals and provided seven assists.

When will Newcastle announce the signing of Antonio Cordero?

Cordero is expected to complete the formalities of his move in June, according to the iPaper. But he won’t go straight into Eddie Howe’s first-team plans and is set to go out on loan instead.

The Magpies adopted the same approach with Yankuba Minteh, who spent the season on loan at Feyenoord before being sold for £33million to Brighton & Hove Albion to help the club comply with Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules last summer (PSR).

United also signed young defender Miodrag Pivas from Serbian side FK Jedinstvo Ub last year and immediately loaned him to Willem II. There are some suggestions in Spain that Cordero could also be sent to the Netherlands and specifically Ajax.

In response to the reports surrounding Cordero, Newcastle assistant coach Jason Tindall said last month: "I know the club is scouting Europe to try and find some of the best talent that's out there. “I'm sure as soon as we have any other news, the club will be the first to hear about it.”

Newcastle United scouting Europe for top young talent

Paul Mitchell was appointed as Newcastle’s sporting director last summer and although he is yet to make a major signing at first-team level, the former Monaco chief has been busy identifying young players with high potential.

Newcastle have already agreed to sign Dinamo Tbilisi forward Vaktang Salia, with a move set to be made official when he turns 18 in August. In January, Turkish midfielder Baran Yildiz arrived from Genclerbirligi.

Speaking about the importance of signing young talent, Mitchell said: “Scouting and recruiting emerging talent is an essential part of building a sustainable future, particularly within the current PSR framework, so the market is fiercely competitive.

"We continue to scout extensively, both domestically and overseas, with a view to securing players who can come through our talent pathway and, ideally, become part of the first team in future.”