Newcastle sign Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille in £51.4m deal

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille. BBC Sport reported that the Premier League club will pay an initial £51.4 million for the 21-year-old, making the move one of the notable completed deals on the final day of the summer transfer window.

Watch the highlights:

Fernandez-Pardo joins after establishing himself as a regular attacking option in France. Sky Sports reported that he scored eight goals in 29 Ligue 1 appearances during the 2025-26 season, a campaign in which Lille finished third and secured qualification for the Champions League. He can operate through the middle or from a wide position.

The forward has also moved into Belgium's senior international set-up. Sky Sports said he had won five caps before the transfer and was part of Belgium's squad at the 2026 World Cup. That tournament experience came during the same year in which his performances for Lille drew attention beyond Ligue 1.

Fernandez-Pardo's move follows a return to Lille that began in 2024. Lille's official website says the Brussels-born attacker was first recruited by the club at the age of nine and spent six years in its youth system. He then continued his development in Belgium with Gent before returning to Lille, where he became a first-team player.

BBC Sport previously recorded eight goals and five assists from his 29 league outings last season. The production represented a clear step forward for a player still early in his senior career, while his pace and ability to play across the front line gave Lille several ways to use him. Newcastle have now committed a substantial fee to bring those qualities to the Premier League.

The transfer is complete rather than an agreement awaiting final formalities, according to BBC Sport's report on Tuesday. Fernandez-Pardo therefore leaves Lille after two seasons back at the French club and begins the next stage of his career in England, with Newcastle adding another senior international to their attacking group.