‘I really like Newcastle…’ – South American winger opens up about ‘dream’ of playing in Europe
A South American winger has namechecked Newcastle United as a club that he ‘really likes’ as he opened out about his ‘dream’ to play in Europe.
Marino Hinestroza mightn’t be a household name outside his native Colombia, but he’s already had a well-travelled career at the age of just 22.
Following spells in Brazil, Mexico and USA, the forward returned to his homeland with Atletico Nacional last year, initially on loan before joining permanently.
His club are on course to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Copa Libertadores (which they won in 2016), and speaking after their most recent domestic fixture, he revealed his desire to test himself in European football, and quite possibly at St James’ Park.
Hinestroza told reporters (via Juan Pablo Rúa Jiménez): “If I win this, my dream is to play in Europe, and people would be happy because I left an important mark if we win the Libertadores. I really like Newcastle United Football Club in the Premier League.”
Colombian winger Marino Hinestroza has said that he ‘really likes’ Newcastle (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)
Could Hinestroza be Newcastle’s next Asprilla?
The 22-year-old has netted eight times in 47 games for Atletico Nacional, with four goals and five assists so far this season – the Copa Libertadores and Colombian league both run on a calendar year basis rather than the August-May cycle which is typical in Europe.
If his club can progress far in the primary South American tournament, that could give him the perfect springboard towards a move across the Atlantic in the next 12 months, much like it did for Wolves midfielder Andre Trindade after he starred for Fluminense in their 2023 Libertadores triumph.
Hinestroza may be hoping to follow in the footsteps of a famous figure from his homeland who became a fan favourite at Newcastle, namely Faustino Asprilla, an icon of Kevin Keegan’s side who chased Premier League glory and famously downed Barcelona in the mid-1990s.
There’s already a South American contingent at St James’ Park in the form of Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes, which could possibly help the 22-year-old to settle in if he were to join the Magpies in the foreseeable future.
Will Newcastle make a move for Hinestroza in future months?
Whether or not Newcastle will actively pursue Hinestroza (like they’ve been doing with Liam Delap) remains to be seen, and his short-term focus appears to be laser-focused on Atletico Nacional’s Copa Libertadores campaign.
The Magpies will also need to appoint a new sporting director after the abrupt departure of Paul Mitchell, with that vacancy quite possibly impacting summer transfer plans.
Nonetheless, his comments might just pique the interest of the Tyneside hierarchy if they were inclined towards an astute left-field swoop from South America.
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