Newcastle lined up move for exciting Spaniard before sealing £40m deal in January - Report

According to The Athletic, Newcastle had lined up a move for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams prior to pursuing a £40m deal for Anthony Gordon.

Newcastle had identified the 20-year-old winger alongside Gordon as a key January target, with the club searching for a versatile wide forward following Chris Wood's departure.

Williams has been impressing in La Liga in the last two seasons after breaking into the first team and made his Spain debut in September 2022 before being called up to the World Cup squad.

The winger featured in Bilbao's pre-season friendly at St James' Park last summer and has gone on to bag six goals and six assists in 25 appearances for the Basque side this season.

Despite him having a £45m release clause in his contract, it's easy to see why we ended up opting for a homegrown, Premier League proven talent in Anthony Gordon; who like Williams possess electric pace and big potential with the ball at his feet.

Who knows, the Spaniard could be one to watch in future windows should we be on the lookout for another winger.