Published May 28, 2026, 7:10 PM GMT+1

Angus is an opinion and features journalist with Football FanCast.

Having graduated from Southampton Solent University with a degree in Sports Journalism in 2022, Angus found a home at FFC after previously writing for Vavel and OurSoundMusic.

A fervent Liverpool supporter, Angus has covered a range of Premier League clubs, from Liverpool and Everton, to the Old Gold of Wolverhampton and the South Coast of Brighton & Hove Albion. Now, he regularly covers Tottenham Hotspur.

Outside of football, Angus is a voracious reader and plays the piano.

The 25-year-old will be missed, but Gordon isn't indispensable. In the Premier League this season, the Three Lions star scored six goals and supplied two assists, horribly out of sorts toward the start of the campaign.

Newcastle need only look back at their recent annals and recognise their mistake in failing to effectively replace Alexander Isak, though. This time, PIF cannot get it wrong.

How Newcastle plan on replacing Gordon

Eddie Howe has been handed a reprieve by the Newcastle decision-makers, despite his side's terrible campaign. He has plenty of credit in the bank, to be fair, but he must spend it wisely ahead of the new season.

Last year's Isak debacle effectively laid waste to United's pre-season preparations. They never recovered. Now, Gordon's eagerness to leave is viewed as an opportunity, one to add fresh talent and kickstart a struggling side who finished 12th in the Premier League.

And according to The i Paper, Newcastle have learned that they could sign Abdessamad Ezzalzouli this summer, with the winger's signature locked by a £51m release clause.

Colloquially known as 'Ez Abde', the left-sided forward was one of the key cogs in Real Betis' emphatic campaign, qualifying for the Champions League after finishing fourth in La Liga.

The 24-year-old has all the attributes to succeed in Gordon's place, and PIF could end up turning a profit with this one too.

Why Ez Abde would be a Gordon upgrade at Newcastle

Hailed for his "extraordinary" quality on the ball by Spanish legend Xavi Hernandez, who oversaw his early development as Barcelona manager, Abde is now shaping into one of the most dangerous wingers in Spain, with skills that suggest he would thrive in the Premier League.

The former La Blaugrana prospect is an explosive winger, capable of zipping up the touchline and into the box. In this, he echoes Gordon's own playing style, and while the Premier League is often viewed as the most tricksy league in Europe - especially for flashy forwards at the moment - he has the potential to mark an upgrade on the left for the Toon.

The Moroccan international's relentless running style would ensure that Howe does not lose the thumping beat of Gordon's movements down the wing, with the dynamic attacker also shifting into central attack with regularity throughout his Tyneside career, especially over the past year, with Isak playing for Liverpool.

Abde is less fluid positionally, but he is comfortable out on the right, and signing him could be a move that helps facilitate the new centre-forward who is needed for Newcastle to bounce back.

His natural creativitty and flair could be exactly what Newcastle need. Gordon might have had a prolific Champions League campaign that left his 2025/26 goal tally on 17, but he left a lot to be desired in the Premier League, and Newcastle could benefit from the electric-paced Abde's hunger for contributions as they put things to rights in the autumn.

Newcastle have learnt from the errors of their ways, accepting Gordon's wishes and allowing him to leave.

They still need to make the right summer signings, though, and in Ez Abde, Howe would get his hands on an exciting replacement who could become one of the division's standouts.