Newcastle teen who’s ‘like Mbappe’ may take the #10 shirt from Gordon

Newcastle United have the welcome distraction of the Champions League in midweek.

In Europe’s elite competitors, the Magpies are two wins from three, with eight targets below their belt. In stark distinction, Eddie Howe‘s males are struggling badly within the Premier League.

Their horrendous run of type has seen them safe solely three victories from ten, resulting in Toon icon Alan Shearer labelling the scenario in the intervening time as “rotten.”

Whereas they could now be with out Alexander Isak, plenty of their key established gamers are but to actually hearth, together with the out-of-sorts Anthony Gordon.

Why Anthony Gordon is changing into a difficulty for Newcastle

Gordon’s topsy-turvy type sums up Newcastle’s present predicament in a nutshell.

Certainly, the England worldwide has hammered dwelling 4 Champions League strikes this season and has checked out ease on the largest of membership levels. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has even chosen him to begin frequently this time period.

That mentioned, domestically, he has been in a horror run of type that stretches again into 2024/25. Thus far, he has zero targets and assists subsequent to his identify from seven Premier League outings. He has additionally created simply two large possibilities throughout these fixtures.

Normally so inventive, so dynamic and so free-flowing, the winger’s type has completely abandoned him within the top-flight.

There’s a stale really feel within the air relating to Newcastle’s stalwarts, such because the ex-Everton attacker, as they proceed to underperform, with Howe maybe now prepared to have a look at the youth starlets rising via the ranks at St James’ Park to repair plenty of his points.

How Newcastle may resolve their Gordon drawback

To date this season, Howe has chucked Lewis Miley into the primary group combine right here and there to freshen issues up centrally, with the homegrown prodigy nonetheless solely 19 years of age.

This absolutely bodes effectively for the likes of Sean Neave, who continues to tear up the Premier League 2 along with his goalscoring prowess. The Newcastle-born teenager has bagged 29 targets throughout many alternative youth groups, but a senior shot nonetheless evades him.

Alfie Harrison – who was beforehand on the books of Manchester Metropolis – will even be hopeful of a senior alternative shortly, with the tough 19-year-old maverick already as much as 4 assists for the season in Premier League 2 motion, as he continues to stay out as a vibrant Gordon-like expertise.

But, one other teen is catching Howe’s eye who may actually hassle Gordon’s first group safety, with the 18-year-old in query even being wildly in comparison with Kylian Mbappe.

Certainly, the time now feels proper to introduce the hotly-tipped Seung Soo-Park to first-team soccer.

Having joined the Magpies academy ranks from South Korean facet Suwon Bluewings earlier this 12 months, with plenty of hype connected to his identify, he seems to be prepared and raring to make an affect below Howe’s wing.

Park would develop into the youngest participant within the historical past of Korean league soccer when he made his senior debut for Suwon, with one aim and two assists coming his approach in Korean League 2 motion even leading to his Suwon head coach Byun Sung-hwan lauding him as having the “capability to go to the very high” along with his front-foot method down the left wing.

Additional hailed as being “much like Kylian Mbappe” by Asian soccer skilled John Duerden for his velocity and skilful method down the flanks, the hope might be that Park can explode onto the senior scene very similar to the world-class Frenchman managed, with promising shows coming his approach for Howe and Co in pre-season.

Up in opposition to Espanyol, Park ended his shiny 63-minute stint with three out of 4 of his dribbles coming off, main additional to journalist Charlie Bennett lauding him as a “actual discover” from South Korea.

Whereas Park continues to impress behind the scenes – with two assists additionally subsequent to his identify within the Magpies youth set-up this season – Gordon is deep in a second of disaster within the Premier League, along with his lacklustre exhibiting in opposition to West Ham culminating in Howe bringing him off on the half-time mark.

The beforehand talked about Bennett even mentioned on the shut of the Hammers’ defeat that Gordon is “not undroppable” – and with Anthony Elanga nonetheless and not using a aim or help himself in league motion after a bumper £55m transfer – Park would possibly effectively be the outside-of-the-box reply to their troubling woes.

Gordon could be in possession of the quantity 10 shirt proper now however this budding Newcastle prodigy seems to be prepared to begin his ascent to stardom and swipe it away from him within the coming years.