Why Newcastle must sign £43m winger to replace Gordon

Newcastle United entered the summer transfer market with £69m in the bank, thanks to the sale of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona.

Gordon has been a popular and effective attacking presence for the Magpies over the past three-and-a-half years, but it’s probably fair to say that he was not indispensable for Eddie Howe‘s outfit.

After all, he only scored six goals across each of his past two Premier League campaigns, even as he assumed goalscoring responsibilities when Alexander Isak was sold to Liverpool for a record-breaking fee one year ago.

Perhaps the frustrating thing has been that Gordon has so much quality, so much still to offer, but he hasn’t been able to crystallise all that potential on Tyneside.

Now, the onus is on Howe and St. James’ Park technical director Ross Wilson to find a suitable replacement.

Newcastle approach club for Gordon replacement

Newcastle thought they had turned a corner at the start of the month, selling Gordon for a hefty fee and then immediately focusing their attention on Osasuna’s Victor Munoz.

For all the world, a deal was edging to the finish line, but the Magpies were hijacked, once again, by Liverpool, who activated the 22-year-old winger’s £34.5m release clause.

It’s been a bitter blow, exacerbated by the more recent revelations regarding Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, the centre-midfielders targeted by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Howe is determined to push on, though, and he’s found a Gordon replacement who could actually come to outstrip Munoz on Tyneside.

According to Fussball Daten, Newcastle have made an approach to sign Said El Mala from FC Koln in Germany. Brentford, Brighton and Liverpool are also keen, but none have established the same kind of concrete interest.

With a €50m (£43m) price tag, El Mala is surely one of the most affordable up-and-coming sensation on the market this summer. This is a player who Newcastle need to be all over; he may only be 19 years old, but Newcastle are aware that he could grow into a superstar, and are showing a more aggressive interest than anyone else in the race.

Why El Mala can be a Gordon upgrade for Newcastle

El Mala is only young, but he has already cemented himself as an important part of Koln’s set-up in the Bundesliga, scoring 13 goals and supplying five assists across 34 matches last season.

He might not be the most relentless runner in Europe, but do not be deceived, the future Germany star is on his way to the top, with a frightening ability to progress the ball into the danger area, wrongfooting and tumbling defenders over.

A powerful and, crucially, clinical wide attacker, El Mala could actually prove an upgrade on Gordon, in that he would add to Howes’ side an edge in front of goal that they lacked last season, with Isak’s replacements, Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, both misfiring.

El Mala misses chances, but he is still so young, and the fact that he bagged 13 Bundesliga goals across the 2025/26 season emphasises his potential, and then some.

Gordon is flashy and electric on the ball, but he lacks the innate ability to make things happen in the danger area that sets apart the good from the great. Given that El Mala is more than five years his junior, it’s fair to say that he could be a fantastic upgrade.

After all, he might feel that he plays his best football off the left, but El Mala is accomplished up front and out on the right too, so he would align with the tactical nuances that Howe will look to return to his Toon team next season.

Gordon might have ebbed and flowed throughout his time on Tyneside, but he has unquestionably been one of the most prominent Premier league wingers across the past several years.

Now, he plays in Spain, but El Mala could fill into that hole and actually provide Howe’s system with something even better.