Newcastle United's rollercoaster ride under Eddie Howe will continue into the 2026/27 season, but it should go without saying that the fanbase share a deep feeling of anxiety after last year's plight.

The sales of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali have undeniably weakened the Magpies squad, but £169m has been banked, and neither star fired on all cylinders last year as Newcastle crashed down to a 12th-place Premier League finish.

Newcastle's midfield situation is concerning, but Howe will at least take solace in his outfit's snappy move to sign Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for £42m. The Ivorian is young, but he has all the tools to prove a big success on Tyneside.

Why Toure will be a success at Newcastle

Toure is young, but he proved in the Bundesliga last season that he has the quality to be a real difference-maker for a side like Newcastle, blending physicality with pace and potency.

Is he as refined as the best wingers in the Premier League? No, he is not, but that hardly negates his skill the potential he has in Howe's squad.

A left-footed winger, Toure principally plays on the left flank, meaning he often stays closer to the touchline than many inswinging forwards, placing emphasis on his playmaking. This was reflected by his form last term, scoring five goals but assisting nine more in the Bundesliga.

He will jockey for a starting berth with Harvey Barnes over the next year, but whether he will displace the 28-year-old is another question.

Toure is one for the future, though the nature of Newcastle's transfer window means that he may have to try and make a big impact from the get-go.

However, looking at the longer vision, you could argue that the Toon have signed an even bigger talent on the wing.

Newcastle have already signed their new Gordon

Newcastle thought they had wrapped up a deal for Spain international Victor Munoz before Liverpool hijacked their bid in June, signing Osasuna's rising star for £34.5m.

However, PIF may have quietly signed a prospect who trumps the lot of them in Antonio Cordero - albeit, the 19-year-old won't be seen on Tyneside for the upcoming year, having extended his loan stay with Cadiz in the Spanish Segunda Division for 2026/27.

Cordero was signed at the expiry of his contract with Malaga in June 2025, but he has stayed away from St. James' Park so far, a long-term investment.

An "explosive left winger", as dubbed by analyst Filipe Sousa, Cordero is arguably more similar to Gordon than the fleet-footed Toure, and while the latter is ahead in the pecking order right now, it certainly might not stay that way.

Said to play "like Gordon" by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson, the Spain U19 star is long-framed and dynamic on the ball, capable of producing moments of magic and creating for his teammates. He has vision, this one, and his timed explosiveness does carry with it similarities to Gordon.

Across 60 appearances in La Liga 2, Cordero has scored nine goals and supplied seven assists. Hardly statistics to set the world alight, but remember, Gordon also took a while to get going on the major stage, posting seven goals and eight assists across 78 games for Everton before completing a £45m transfer to Tyneside.

What matters is the underlying data which emphasises Cordero's potential. He is naturally progressive and confident on the ball, completing 82% of his passes last term, ferried from left wing to right, something that deepens the argument that he is the man to replace Gordon.

Newcastle might not have Cordero at their disposal right now, but by playing the waiting game, they might just find that they have landed a superstar.