JACOB MURPHY opened his Newcastle United goalscoring account in style as his second-half double helped his new employers claim a convincing pre-season win at Bradford City.

Murphy was making his second appearance since completing a £12.5m move from Norwich City, and the winger found the target twice as the Magpies outclassed their League One opponents at Valley Parade.

His first goal came just 60 seconds after Dwight Gayle had opened the scoring, and saw him hold his nerve in the area to step inside his marker and slot home.

Aleksandar Mitrovic extended Newcastle’s lead as the visitors’ Premier League class told, and Murphy claimed his second goal of the night to round off the scoring as he drilled home a half-volley after controlling the ball on his chest.

This evening’s game was taking place as Newcastle United put the finishing touches to the capture of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mikel Merino.

Merino, a Spain Under-21 international who played at this summer’s European Championships in Poland, has been on Tyneside this afternoon undergoing a medical.

He is set to sign a season-long loan, with the deal containing a clause that commits Newcastle to a permanent transfer worth around £6m next summer no matter what whatever happens in the next 12 months.

Merino joined Dortmund from Spanish side Osasuna for £3.1m last summer, but has barely featured for the Bundesliga club’s first team, making just nine senior appearances in the whole of last season.

Florian Lejeune and Christian Atsu were the only summer signings to start last night’s game at Valley Parade, with out-of-favour goalkeeper Karl Darlow the most notable absentee. Darlow’s time on Tyneside is clearly numbered, along with that of Tim Krul, who was not in last night’s squad either.

Rob Elliot started the game in goal, and the Irishman was called into action as early as the third minute to tip over a fierce drive from former Middlesbrough full-back Tony McMahon.

It did not take long for Newcastle to find their stride after that though, with Lejeune looking confident as he strolled out defence, Jonjo Shelvey slipping seamlessly into his role as conductor-in-chief at the heart of midfield, and both Atsu and Matt Ritchie providing pace and penetration from the wide positions.

Ritchie tested Colin Doyle in the fifth minute after racing on to Shelvey’s through ball in the penalty area, and the Bradford goalkeeper was called into action again moments later as Shelvey tried his luck from the edge of the area.

Gayle is sure to be a key player this season, and he showed his technique has lost none of its sharpness over the summer break as he effortlessly trapped a long ball from Lejeune before dragging a low shot across the face of goal.

Newcastle had the ball in the net midway through the first half, with Shelvey bursting to the byline before bending home with the outside of his foot from an acute angle, but the effort was ruled out for a handball earlier in the move.

Ritchie clipped the top of the crossbar with a miscued cross, and the first half came to an end with Shelvey clearly relishing the opportunity to run things as he was afforded the freedom of the midfield from which to pick out a long-range pass.

Newcastle should really have been out of sight at the interval, such was the extent of their dominance, but their bright attacking play was finally rewarded with two goals in the space of a minute shortly after the break.

Gayle claimed the first, steering home from close range after stealing ahead of his marker to meet Atsu’s low cross from the left.

The Newcastle number nine then turned provided moments later, slipping through half-time substitute Murphy, who turned neatly inside his marker before rolling home his first goal in a black-and-white shirt.

Murphy was one of three changes at the interval, and a further six alterations followed shortly after the hour mark as Benitez gave as many players as possible a run-out.

One of the substitutes, Mitrovic, wore the captain’s armband for the final half-hour, and the Serbian claimed Newcastle’s third goal with 14 minutes left.

The success owed much to the pace of Rolando Aarons, with the substitute outsprinting his marker down the left-hand side in order to deliver a low cross that Mitrovic slotted home.

Newcastle scored again four minutes later, with Murphy displaying impeccable technique as he claimed his second goal of the night.

The £12.5m summer signing controlled a miscued header from Aarons’ cross on his chest, before dispatching a crisp half-volley into the net.

Bradford (5-4-1): Doyle; McMahon, Knight-Percival, Kilgallon, Vincelot; Gilliead, Reeves (Devine 72), Law, McCartan; Jones.

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Elliot (Woodman 61); Yedlin (Manquillo 46), Lejeune (Mbemba 61), Clark (Saivet 76), Dummett (Gamez 61); Shelvey (Aarons 61), Hayden (Colback 76); Ritchie (Murphy 46), Perez (Diame 46), Atsu (de Jong 61); Gayle (Mitrovic 61).