Newcastle United are targeting two exciting young wide players as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the new season.
According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies have shown interest in Cologne winger Said El Mala and have also made contact over Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo.
Both players match the profile Newcastle appear to be pursuing, with youth, pace, technical ability, and Premier League potential all key factors in their recruitment thinking.
The search for fresh attacking talent has been accelerated by Newcastle missing out on Victor Muñoz, who ultimately chose to join Liverpool over the summer.
That disappointment appears to have pushed the club into identifying alternative targets at speed, with Fernandez-Pardo already flagged as a credible option by Get French Football News.
The complication for Newcastle, however, is that Liverpool have not stepped away from the winger market entirely and remain active observers of available talent.
The Reds are monitoring the situation closely and could turn their attention to El Mala or Fernandez-Pardo should their primary targets prove unattainable this window.
Liverpool have made a strong move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, with The Times reporting they are willing to pay around £86m for the player.
Leipzig are believed to be holding out for closer to £112m, while PSG’s interest in the market has further complicated what was already a competitive pursuit.
PSG forward Bradley Barcola has also been identified as a Liverpool target, meaning their shortlist extends well beyond a single name.
El Mala and Fernandez-Pardo are not simply backup options thrown together hastily but rather part of a carefully constructed list of winger alternatives Liverpool have assembled.
For Newcastle, the window to act may be narrow, as Liverpool’s focus on Diomande and Barcola could free up space for the Magpies to move first.
Should Liverpool fail to land either of their preferred targets, they could quickly redirect their financial firepower toward the same players Newcastle are chasing.
Speed will likely be the defining factor in this race, with both clubs operating in overlapping areas of the transfer market this summer.
Newcastle are active and motivated, but Liverpool’s presence in the background makes this a situation where hesitation could prove very costly indeed.
