Newcastle set to beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to Spanish wonderkid Antonio Cordero as Carabao Cup winners close in on Malaga winger on free transfer

According to a report from MARCA, Carabao Cup winners Newcastle are leading the race to sign Malaga's Spanish sensation Cordero, better known as Antonito, leapfrogging the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Antonito has been one of the stars of the Segunda Division this season, taking rapid strides with Malaga. The 18-year-old winger has five goals and six assists in 30 games, and his performances have caught the eye of La Liga's biggest sides in Barca and Real Madrid.

In November, reports revealed Barca's urgent pursuit of the Cadiz-born talent on a free transfer this summer, hoping to leverage agent Pini Zahavi's association with Robert Lewandowski and Hansi Flick.

Now, though, reports from England mention that the Magpies are the frontrunners to acquire Antonito's signing, who have offered the player a better financial package as well as an easier route into the first team.

Malaga's desire is to keep hold of their star man. "I still have the feeling that we can reach an agreement. We will make an effort to keep Antonito here, within the parameters," Malaga sporting director Loren Juarros said in September.

Riding on the high of their Carabao Cup victory on Sunday, where they beat Liverpool 2-1 to clinch their first domestic trophy since 1955, Newcastle's aim for the remainder of the season is to finish in one of the Champions League spots. Currently, they sit in sixth position in the Premier League with 47 points. They are two points behind Chelsea (fourth) and one point behind Manchester City (fifth), with a game in hand. Their next encounter is a home game against Brentford on April 3, following the international break.