Newcastle United’s teenage winger Antonio Cordero is on the verge of escaping a disastrous loan spell at KV Westerlo, with Deportivo La Coruña closing in on a January switch that would cancel his Belgian nightmare and place him at the top of La Liga 2. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe has delivered his clearest statement yet on the Nick Pope versus Aaron Ramsdale debate ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton, insisting selection is purely on merit and refusing to rotate goalkeepers regularly despite Pope’s high-profile errors. With nine games left in 2025 and the January window approaching, these two stories highlight the fine margins Newcastle are navigating in both youth development and first-team selection.
Cordero’s Belgian Nightmare Set for Early Termination
Antonio Cordero arrived from Málaga in the summer with the kind of excitemen usually reserved for hitting an online jackpot. The 19-year-old Spain youth international had turned heads with 12 goal involvements in La Liga 2 last season and rejected Real Madrid and Barcelona to join Newcastle. Yet his loan to KV Westerlo has been nothing short of a disaster: just seven substitute appearances and barely 90 minutes of senior football all season.
Spanish outlet Cadena Ser now reports that Deportivo La Coruña, currently top of the second tier on goal difference, are closing in on a deal to bring Cordero back to Spain in January. Westerlo’s loan will be terminated early, ending a spell that has seen the teenager frozen out almost entirely. AS had previously revealed multiple Spanish clubs were interested, but Deportivo have moved fastest and are prepared to offer the regular minutes Cordero desperately needs.
The original decision to send him to mid-table Belgian football always raised eyebrows, especially when Ajax and a return to Spain were genuine options. Westerlo’s failure to play him has stalled his development and raised fresh questions about Newcastle’s loan pathway, with Travis Hernes at Groningen and Trevan Sanusi at Lorient also struggling for minutes. A move to a promotion-chasing Deportivo side would mirror the successful Yankuba Minteh loan at Feyenoord and give Cordero the platform to showcase the talent that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after teenagers.
Pope or Ramsdale: Howe Refuses Regular Rotation
Eddie Howe faced the media on November 28 2025 and delivered a measured but firm defence of Nick Pope while refusing to commit to dropping him for Aaron Ramsdale despite three costly away errors in a row. Pope’s decision to rush out in Marseille gifted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang an equaliser 30 seconds into the second half, and similar mistakes cost points at West Ham and Brentford.
Howe acknowledged the scrutiny but stressed consistency in goal: “You don’t necessarily naturally think about rotating a goalkeeper. It’s a position of consistency and you want to give the defenders in front of them consistency and understanding. Changing goalkeeper is possible, of course, but doing so is a big thing. Certainly rotating the goalkeeper position is not something I want to do.”
He praised both keepers in equal measure. On Pope: “His shot-stopping has been incredible. He delivers so many saves that it’s almost expected. Nick is vastly experienced, a very level character, calm and relaxed and absorbs it all.” On Ramsdale: “Aaron’s role here was to come in and compete and fight, bring good harmony and energy. He’s done all that. I’ve been really pleased with him.”
Howe then directly addressed claims of favouritism: “There’s no ‘favourites’, there’s no loyalty as such. It’s about trying to pick the team that I think can win and gives us the best chance of doing that. Team selection is always up there for me as one of the hardest decisions you have to make as a manager.”
The message is clear: Pope will almost certainly start at Everton unless training performances dramatically shift in the next 24 hours.
Loan Pathway Under the Spotlight Again
Cordero’s situation is the latest embarrassment for Newcastle’s loan system. Three high-potential teenagers (Cordero, Hernes, Sanusi) are all struggling for minutes at clubs that were supposed to accelerate their development. The original Westerlo move was questioned from day one, and the fact it has taken only four months to pull the plug underlines a failure in due diligence.
A switch to Deportivo would salvage the season. Playing regularly in a promotion race at a historic Spanish club would offer far more than cameo appearances in Belgium. If that deal falls through, a late move to the Netherlands (where Minteh thrived at Feyenoord) would be the next logical step rather than another half-season on the fringes.
Everton Preview: Same Again or Statement Change?
Saturday’s trip to Goodison Park is a huge test. Everton are scrapping for survival and have turned their home ground into a fortress under David Moyes’ return. Newcastle have lost three of their last four away games in all competitions and conceded the first goal in each.
Howe’s refusal to rotate goalkeepers means Pope is almost certain to keep his place, backed by the manager’s belief in his “incredible” shot-stopping and level personality. Ramsdale, despite impressive training form and cup performances, will remain on the bench unless something drastic changes.
The midfield and attack are likely to stay similar to Marseille, with Joe Willock pushing for another start after his strong first-half display and Harvey Barnes in red-hot form. Resting Woltemade again feels unlikely given the need for goals on the road.
January Priorities Taking Shape
Between Cordero’s rescue mission and the ongoing Willock to Palace speculation, January is already shaping up to be busy. Newcastle need minutes for their youngsters, a resolution on several contract situations, and potentially one or two first-team additions to cope with the second half of the season.
Howe’s comments on goalkeeper selection show he will not be rushed into knee-**** decisions, whether that concerns Pope or any other position. Merit and consistency remain his guiding principles, even when the fanbase is crying out for change.
Cordero to Deportivo and Pope starting at Everton would both feel like the safe, pragmatic calls, exactly the kind of decisions Eddie Howe has built his Newcastle reign on.
