Published Aug 30, 2026, 7:15 AM GMT+1

The Magpies have been rocked by any number of setbacks in the transfer market this summer, with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes and then manager Eddie Howe all leaving St. James' Park. After finishing 12th last season, there's no question that this is a concerning situation.

Newcastle are still aiming for reinforcements before the transfer window slams shut, and there's no question that Jaissle could do with more out wide, particularly on the left flank.

Why Newcastle still need to strengthen out wide

Newcastle sold Gordon and replaced him with Bazoumana Toure, a 20-year-old winger from Hoffenheim who is endowed with speed and style down the left flank. Naturally creative, the Ivorian winger has plenty of potential.

He scored on his debut as Newcastle defeated West Bromwich Albion in the Carabao Cup second round, but there is still plenty of work to be done before he can dispatch Harvey Barnes from his starting berth on the left flank.

The 28-year-old Barnes has been a prolific presence for Newcastle in the Premier League over the past several years, scoring 32 goals and providing 14 assists since arriving in 2023.

However, the English winger struggled last season, scoring seven league goals, but leaving a lot to be desired when looking at the bigger picture. With Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa both struggling to produce elite results at No. 9, there's no question that Jaissle and co will hope to explore the possibility of signing a new striker before the end of the transfer window.

Indeed, the Toon might just have the perfect ambitious solution in mind.

How Newcastle can upgrade on Harvey Barnes

All in all, Newcastle were right to sell Gordon to Barcelona for a £69m fee. However, they still need to sign a replacement, a versatile forward who can produce the goods from the start, not only promise things for the future, as is the case with Toure.

Well, according to iNews, Newcastle are still "very active" in the transfer market, with their sights trained on Lille winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo. It's understood that the Tynesiders are engaged in club-to-club negotiations with the French side, who are expected to demand £60m for the in-demand 21-year-old.

The problem, of course, is that Fernandez-Pardo is attracting interest from elsewhere, and the Magpies will be wary of yet another top target slipping away at the eleventh hour.

The Belgium international has the potential to score and assist with regularity in the Premier League, but there's no question that he has far more dynamism than Barnes, working relentlessly to get involved and make things happen in the build-up.

Fernandez-Pardo is fast. Extremely fast. Moreover, he boasts a breadth of tactical qualities that make him the perfect addition for this Newcastle side, having spent plenty of time as a centre-forward too. In that, he has something Gordon-esque about him, speaking of talismanic potential that Barnes simply doesn't offer.

Barnes adds a goalscoring dimension, but he is not a focal point. The Lille winger could bring that kind of flavour to St. James' Park, already growing into a star man for his outfit and attracting interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs.

In Ligue 1 last season, he ranked superlatively across playmaking metrics, and when combining that with his devastating speed and natural edge in front of goal, there's no question that he could displace Barnes as Newcastle's starting left-sider.

Barnes might have a clinical edge, but he showed last season that he lacks the underlying athleticism and technicality to affect wider phases of play with the consistency that Fernandez-Pardo would bring to Tyneside.

There's no question that Newcastle have been knocked by the events of the past several months, but if they can secure Fernandez-Pardo's signature to round things off, there's every reason for the Toon supporters to be excited.