Newcastle close in on deal for Lille’s Fernández-Pardo

Newcastle are pushing hard to complete the signing of Matias Fernández-Pardo from Lille, according to Sky Sports. The broadcaster says the negotiations are in the final stages and that the club believes it can get the deal over the line.

The headline figure is the valuation: Newcastle are expected to pay in the region of £55m for the 21-year-old Belgium international. While there are still final details to iron out, Sky Sports adds that there is genuine hope internally that they will “get their man.”

Agreement lined up

As part of the process, Fernández-Pardo is set to travel to Newcastle on Monday evening to finalise his move. That suggests the club is aiming to move quickly as the summer window approaches its critical moments.

Sky Sports also frames the transfer as part of Newcastle’s wider recruitment plan. It compares the signing to Nico González, who joined last week from Manchester City for £50m.

Impact on the squad

The article notes that bringing Fernández-Pardo in could open the door for Nick Woltemade to leave on loan, with Juventus already in direct talks with Newcastle about the German striker.