Newcastle complete Antonio Cordero transfer as Spain wonderkid, 18, picks Toon over Real Madrid and Barcelona

NEWCASTLE have beaten Real Madrid and Barcelona to the signing of Antonio Cordero, according to reports.

The 18-year-old prodigy has caught the eye with his performances for Malaga this season.

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Real Madrid and Barcelona were believed to be monitoring the winger.

But according to Fabrizio Romano he picked Newcastle over the Spanish giants and has agreed a move to St James' Park.

The deal will be announced by the club in the coming weeks and will be completed once the transfer window opens this summer.

Cordero is out of contract at the end of the season so has been free to talk to other clubs since the start of the year.

And he visited Newcastle with his family in January ahead of the switch.

Cordero has featured regularly for Malaga since breaking into the side last season.

He helped his side win promotion in his debut campaign, with Malaga now 17th in LaLiga 2.

Cordero has made 32 appearances this season, scoring five goals and assisting six.

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He has also created six big chances and made 22 key passes in 1690 minutes of football.

Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell has prioritised signing young players, with Cordero fitting into the club's transfer criteria.

He said of their transfer strategy: “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.”