Newcastle United turn attentions to another teenage sensation after Antonio Cordero

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Newcastle United are looking to add more young players to their squad in the summer.

There has been a big mentality shift since Paul Mitchell arrived on Tyneside, he wants to make sure that the Magpies have a slew of players who will be part of the team for many years to come.

Newcastle United’s plan to sign young players also relies on Toon boss Eddie Howe to work with them and develop them into the players he wants them to be. Newcastle have already been working on the summer transfer market, taking advantage of the Bosman rule.

Antonio Cordero is close to joining Newcastle following talks with Mitchell. It was recently reported that Cordero’s family have travelled to Tyneside and it is now a case of formal announcements. The 18-year-old winger has impressed for Malaga this season, scoring four goals and bagging five assists.

Newcastle plans to loan out Cordero for his first season. Something Mitchell wants to do for all the young talents who have joined the club in the last few months.

With Newcastle’s new recruitment plan in motion, a new report has linked the Magpies to another young star who has impressed in Italy.

• Who is Antonio Cordero? Meet the exciting Spanish teenager Newcastle United have signed on a free transfer

Newcastle ‘attentive’ to Assane Diao

Como winger Assane Diao only left Real Betis in January but could be on the move again in the summer after scoring four goals in his first four Serie A games.

The teenage sensation has impressed under former Arsenal and Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas in Italy after joining for a club-record fee of £10m. Newcastle are in the market for a winger after Miguel Almiron joined Atlanta United in the January transfer window.

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle could look to the Spanish-born star to replace him.

The report suggests that the Magpies want to maintain their attacking threat, with Diao’s goalscoring prowess which has impressed Mitchell.

However, Newcastle are not alone in their interest. The report claims that Liverpool are also interested in Diao and see him as a candidate to replace Mohamed Salah who looks set to leave the Reds at the end of the season.

Almiron’s exit left Newcastle with just one natural right-winger until the end of the season – Jacob Murphy has impressed this season in the circumstances but the belief is that he could become more of a bench player if Mitchell brings a new winger to the club in the summer.

• READ MORE: All of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United signings, ranked

Assane Diao’s stats compared to Jacob Murphy at Newcastle

Both players are enjoying fine seasons after entering a new environment or being handed renewed game time. The plan for the season could have seen Yankuba Minteh take the right-wing spot from Murphy this season had PSR not hindered their plans.

Newcastle had to sell Minteh to avoid a points deduction. The winger could face Newcastle in the FA Cup on Sunday when Brighton travel to St James’ Park.

Should Newcastle sign him, Howe will be urged to work on Diao’s crossing which is a particular weakness of him. The 19-year-old loves to play with the ball at his feet and create his own opportunities.

Stylistically, he is different to Murphy who has had great success with his crossing this season, mainly because Alexander Isak has been getting on the end of them. Murphy and Isak have been one of the best-attacking partnerships in Europe this season, Howe will be keen to replicate that with any player who joins the club in the summer.