Dealing with the loss of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon would be catastrophic for most teams, but Newcastle United appear to have coped without two of their top attacking talents.
The former of the duo returned to St James’ Park for the first time on Sunday, and it’s safe to say the reaction from the Magpies faithful was less than welcoming.
Anthony Elanga netted his first Premier League goal for the club during such a clash, with the hope that the Swede can come alive under the guidance of Matthias Jaissle.
However, despite the recent positive display against Liverpool, the hierarchy are still on the hunt for added reinforcements before the transfer window closes next Tuesday.
How Fernandez-Pardo could improve Newcastle’s attacking department
In an attempt to add further quality to Jaissle’s frontline, the Newcastle hierarchy have been working tirelessly to try and land adequate reinforcements.
Countless names have been mentioned with a move to St James’ this summer, but so far only Bazoumana Touré has arrived to soften the blow of Gordon’s departure.
Over recent days, Lille star Matias Fernandez-Pardo has been the latest touted with a move to Tyneside, with an offer even being presented to secure the Belgian’s signature.
He may be an unknown quantity to many of the Magpies’ faithful, but he’s a player who possesses huge potential to be a monster hit upon any transfer.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a superb campaign in Ligue 1 last term, subsequently registering 13 goals and assists – a figure only bettered by the recently departed Bruno Guimaraes.
He also featured at the World Cup for his nation this summer, with the youngster already starting to establish himself on the greatest stage – despite his tender age.
|
Most combined G+As for Lille in Ligue 1 (2025/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Tally |
|
Matias Fernandez-Pardo |
13 |
|
Hakon Arnar Haraldsson |
9 |
|
Felix Correia |
9 |
|
Oliver Giroud |
8 |
|
Romain Perraud |
7 |
|
Hamza Igmane |
6 |
|
Benjamin Andre |
4 |
|
Nabil Bentaleb |
4 |
However, the price tag could prove to be a sticking point in the days ahead, as his current side are said to be demanding at least £60m to sanction a sale this late in the window.
How Newcastle can land an even bigger talent than Fernandez-Pardo
With less than a week left in the summer window, the Newcastle hierarchy will now have to work tirelessly to secure the services any of their chosen transfer targets.
Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli appears to be one player they are currently monitoring and have even held talks with the Spanish club over a deal for the Moroccan international.
However, he’s not the only name currently on the club’s shortlist, with Stuttgart attacker Bilal El Khannouss another currently being considered by the hierarchy.
It’s been reported by Foot Mercato that the Magpies are once again eyeing a move for the attacking midfielder, after previously wanting to sign him earlier this window.
Their report also claims that Jaissle and his staff believe that the 22-year-old is the perfect transfer target to fit into his current system at St James’ Park.
The player himself is also said to be extremely keen on a return to the Premier League, after previously featuring for Leicester City during the 2024/25 campaign.
El Khannouss, who has reportedly been valued at around £43m, can either operate in a number ten position, or off the left-hand side of the attack – just as he did for Morocco during the recent World Cup in the United States.
His excellent form at club level led to his international call-up, with many of his figures in a different league to those produced by fellow target Fernandez-Pardo.
The Stuttgart talent managed to register an impressive tally of 2.5 chances created per 90 last term – subsequently providing his teammates with nearly two times more opportunities.
His subsequent figure also ranked him above 93% of other attackers across Europe’s top-five leagues – showcasing his incredible talents with the ball in forward areas.
The Moroccan also managed to complete more of the crosses he attempted throughout 2025/26, handing Jaissle a superb set-piece taker in his hunt for success.
His dominance over Fernandez-Pardo was further evident in his increased dribble success rate, which has seen Thorsten Fink, who coached the player in Belgium, suggest he “can become one of the best footballers in Europe.”
Even without the ball, El Khannouss had the upper hand over the Belgian, subsequently making more tackles per 90 and winning more of his ground duels – fitting into the manager’s system of working tirelessly to regain possession.
Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for the former Leicester man will cost this summer, but it’s clear he’s in a different league to fallow target Fernandez-Pardo.
Any move for the Moroccan would hand the Magpies a versatile option in attacking areas, which could see the manager operate with a variety of different systems in 2026/27.
