Newcastle Sign Belgium Forward Fernandez-Pardo From Lille for $69.6 Million

NEWCASTLE, England —

Newcastle United have signed Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said Tuesday. British media reported the fee at £51.4 million ($69.6 million), though Newcastle did not disclose the transfer fee or contract length, according to Channel NewsAsia.

The 21-year-old flew to Tyneside on Monday night for a medical before signing, according to BBC Sport. He will wear the No. 20 shirt at St James' Park, Sky Sports reported. The move is Newcastle's eighth signing of the summer transfer window and brings the club's spending this offseason to £262 million ($354.8 million), according to Sky Sports.

Fernandez-Pardo scored eight goals in 41 appearances for Lille last season and helped the French club qualify for the UEFA Champions League, according to Sky Sports and Channel NewsAsia. He was left out of Lille's squad for a 2-2 draw against Paris St-Germain last week and told to train away from the first team while his future was sorted out, BBC Sport reported. He has been capped five times by Belgium and was part of the country's squad for the 2026 World Cup, according to Sky Sports, after previously switching his international allegiance to Spain, where he trained with youth squads but never played a competitive match.

A Long-standing Target

Newcastle had been tracking Fernandez-Pardo since the tenure of former head coach Eddie Howe, according to BBC Sport, and he fits the age profile the club has been targeting in recent transfer windows.

"In terms of my own career progression, it made complete sense to come, so I didn't hesitate at all," Fernandez-Pardo said in a statement carried by Channel NewsAsia and BBC Sport. "I'm still young, I'm still hungry, and that's why I'm here."

Head coach Matthias Jaissle praised the forward's range. "Matias is a highly technical player with explosiveness in his game," Jaissle said, according to BBC Sport. "He can score and assist, he has courage, and he has the ability to take players on."

Squad Reshuffle

The signing clears a path for striker Nick Woltemade to leave Newcastle on loan, with Juventus in direct talks over the German forward, Sky Sports reported. Newcastle has also turned down several deadline-day offers from Nottingham Forest for winger Jacob Murphy, most recently a bid of £15 million ($20.3 million), after rejecting an opening £10 million ($13.5 million) offer the week before, according to Sky Sports. The club has told Murphy he has a future at Newcastle, Sky Sports reported.