It is rare that Barcelona and Real Madrid take a step for the top talents of the country and are not successful. Nevertheless, Newcastle United has today announced the signature of Antonio Cordero, who beat both Giants of Spain.
The Malaga Starlet attracted attention in the late stages of the 2023-24 season and played a crucial role in their promotion back to Segunda. In the last minute of the play-off final, it was 'Antonito' who sealed their return to professional football at the age of only 17. Already on the radar of Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Catalan giants made a bid for Cordero to join their Barca Atletic team.
Now 18, and represented by super-agent Pini Zahavi, Cordero only had a year left at his deal. Malaga rejected the offer for Cordero and did their best to convince him to sign a new deal. In the meantime, Real Madrid and Barcelona did their best to offer him a contract that would convince them.
At the beginning of the year, Newcastle United started to compete with the Clasico duo and eventually convinced him to sign a five-year-old deal for Tyneside. Newcastle has now announced the deal for Cordero.
In the course of the season, Cordero looked more than at home in Segunda, 40 performances and starting 23 games. In those performances, the winger, who can play on both sides, scored six goals and offered seven assists.
The magpies have publicly acknowledged that Cordero will probably go on loan this summer, although it is not clear where. Sports director Paul Mitchell, who played a key role in the signing, had the following to say about the deal.
“Antonio is an exciting talent. We are pleased to bring him to Newcastle United in the midst of interest in Spain and throughout Europe. He has a lot of potential, and the next phase of his development will be for the club to select a loan movement that will challenge him and build on his experiences.”