A key theme of Newcastle’s post-takeover recruitment has been the focus on ‘project players.’
Young talents from abroad who can arrive on the cheap, develop and either slot into Eddie Howe’s side in years to come, or be sold for a sizeable profit.
One of the latest examples saw Antonio Cordero arrive in July, signing on a free transfer after a breakthrough season at La Liga 2 side Malaga.
The 18-year-old winger was always expected to head out on loan and he joined Belgian side KVC Westerlo on August 1st, allowing him to play regularly in Europe once again after 40 senior appearances for Malaga over the 2024/25 campaign.
Two months on, however, the young Spaniard has struggled for game time in a tough start to his spell in the Belgian Pro League.
Cordero has played just 81 minutes of football since August, managing no starts, one 45 minute outing, two 15-20-minute cameos and back-to-back appearances before the international break that saw him come on for just one minute.
It’s too early in the season to suggest we’ve got it wrong, as he’s a teenager adjusting to a new country, new league, new teammates and new manager, but less than 90 minutes of competitive action in just over two months isn’t enough for a player who was starting week in week out last season.
Hopefully Cordero can settle in, knuckle down and start to show what he can do, otherwise a difficult conversation may be needed in the new year about a loan spell that’s not quite gone to plan in the first few months of 2025/26.
Since Shola Ameobi took control of Newcastle’s loan deals not many of them have worked out with players getting next to no minutes on the field at their loan clubs. It makes me wonder what goes on at the negotiation stages. Another area of the club thtat needs to be looked at
mactoon(Quote)
Send the young kids out to foreign countries away from friends and family and see if they sink or swim.
Horses Heed(Quote)
We keep hearing about Ross Wilson’s immediate tasks.
Two I can think of are removing and replacing Ameobi as his work (?) in placing, on loan, our young talent, is absolutely abysmal.
The second is a new women’s team manager as our current team is playing without any sense of coaching and tactics. Week in week out the opposition is running rings round us in terms of possession, skill and movement. We are supposed to be signing top players yet they look as if they’ve never met. Becky Langley has been fantastic for this club in gaining three promotions but I’m afraid she has found this level a step too far. All the talk has been about promotion but we’re nearer relegation at the moment. If the hierarchy doesn’t step in soon and give us a higher quality manager it may prove costly and knock the club back in its ambition.
Toonarden(Quote)
Like others have said here and I’ve said since he got the job the answer to the question posed by this article is Ameobi.
Sack him and the rest of the loan department and sort it out, it’s the weak link in our route from academy to senior squad.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Yet more utter clickbait trash.
ToonRme(Quote)
Blah blah blah you sound like a SMB talking trash.
ToonRme(Quote)
He has to have game time. Newcastle will have to bring him in and get him playing. His skill set needs practical experience in many different areas of playing. This is one chap Ross can help. Bring him on otherwise he will lose confidence and give up.
Martyn Hancock(Quote)
So everyone has to follow the mantra of the club is always right and people like shola are doing a good job or they’re Mackems what a chick tunt you are.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Clickbait trash? We’ve asked a fair question two months after his loan move and answered it in the article…
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
I think sack Shola is a bit tough he is the ideal fellow to look after , connect with and put an arm around a player moved away from their family in strange surroundings at a young age, does he need someone else to sort out the performance wise and negotiate with the clubs , yes there’s two jobs here for loan players lets have Shola just have to do one of them
A(Quote)
He’s proven time and time again he’s not up to his job, no room for jobs for the boys because they are nice make him the face of the foundation but keep him away from the loan department.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Westerlo was always a weird choice for Cordero. Mid-table at best with a ropey coach. Why didn’t they send him to Genk ? They’re among the best in Europe in producing or developing young players, and the style of play would suit him…plus they’re REALLY struggling for goals at the moment as the two main suppliers, Karetsas and Steuckers, are out of form. The club re-signed Junya Ito on loan to inject some pace and width, but at 32 he looks a pale shadow of the player we had three seasons ago. I know Genk like to produce their own players like De Bruyne, Courtois, Carrasco, Origi, Benteke, Penders, Trossard, and the latest internationals Karetsas and Adedeji-Sternberg, but they’re great at bringing players on, too, like Arokodare, Onuachu, Smets, Berg, and Munóz. Bad choice, Toon
Tony Henderson(Quote)
It seems like Antonio Cordero is facing challenges adapting to his new environment, which is common for young players. Hopefully, he can turn things around soon. For a unique perspective on destiny and personality, explore the fascinating world of Primal Astrology at Primal Astrology.
primal astrology(Quote)