Newcastle ready to send Mourinho €15m as Gordon replacement found

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Newcastle have found their replacement for Anthony Gordon, with Real Madrid set to land a massive windfall from the deal that could help Jose Mourinho sign a new Galactico.

The Magpies saw Gordon complete a shock €80 million move to Barcelona, who acted with lightning speed to see off the challenge of Premier League clubs for the 25-year-old.

Eddie Howe is acting equally decisively to find a replacement for the England winger at St James’ Park, with Osasuna’s Victor Munoz rapidly approaching an agreement with the Geordies.

Newcastle make official Victor Munoz bid

Newcastle have launched a bid worth €30 million for Munoz, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano of the belief that a deal could be imminent.

“He has done very well at Osasuna this season and now Newcastle are ready to attack,” transfer expert Romano explained on his YouTube channel.

“Newcastle sent an official bid to Osasuna and there is big confidence because they believe the player wants the move.

“Victor Munoz changed his agency a few weeks ago because he was preparing for a move.

“Now there is more than €30 million guaranteed on the table for Osasuna and Newcastle believe he is ready to take the next step and move to the Premier League.”

Newcastle had also been linked with a move for Ez Abde, but sources in Spain claim this move is in serious doubt over an injury the Morocco winger suffered prior to the World Cup. This is a particular blow to Barcelona, who retained a 20% sell-on fee for the 24-year-old Real Betis star.

Real Madrid in line for major windfall

Munoz had been hotly linked with Barcelona himself before the Catalans moved for Gordon, while the former Real Madrid academy player has also been associated with a return to the Bernabeu side.

Jose Mourinho’s outfit have a buyback clause for Munoz but they also stand to land a hefty sell-on fee for the player as Romano outlined.

“Real Madrid have a buy-back clause and a 50 per cent sell-on clause. So Real Madrid basically have two options. They can activate the buy-back and bring the player back, or they can take a percentage of the sale.

“My understanding is that Real Madrid are expected to make a profit. The expectation is not for them to activate the buy-back clause. Instead, they would receive around €16m-17m from the sale of Victor Munoz.

“That is why Newcastle remain optimistic and this could be one of the next ‘Here We Go’ deals.”

Why Real Madrid won’t sign Munoz

Although Munoz has been one of the top-performing wingers in La Liga last season, Real Madrid already have a plethora of players who can feature on the left wing. Both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are adept in that role, leaving little space for Munoz in his favoured position.

Meanwhile, Mourinho’s need to rebuild several areas of the squad is significant. It is expected that more defenders will arrive to supplement Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate, while a midfielder is also on the Portuguese’s shopping list.

Real Madrid have also made a €150m offer for Julian Alvarez, though that deal appears to have been parked by Los Blancos for now.

Clearly, such a transfer window will need significant funds, and a €15m windfall from Munoz will be a nice addition to the kitty, particularly since he is not signing for a direct rival like Barcelona.

Newcastle can rest assured that Los Blancos’ decision to allow them a free run at Munoz is not a reflection of the player’s talent but is instead a purely practical business decision to allow them to focus on strengthening other more pressing areas of their side.

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