Liverpool came fairly close to agreeing a deal for Anthony Gordon last summer. But Newcastle found another transfer solution, and the winger made his thoughts clear
Anthony Gordon injected a degree of excitement into the closing days of Liverpool’s transfer window. In what had been a quiet first summer for Arne Slot, the late possibility of signing the Newcastle winger kept interest high — but in the end, Gordon stayed put, ultimately making his feelings clear on a different move.
It meant that Slot ended his first transfer window with only Federico Chiesa added to the ranks, plus a deal in place to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili the following summer. There was a slight sense of anticlimax at Anfield.
This, of course, looks ridiculous in hindsight. Liverpool is on the verge of securing the Premier League title, and maintaining relative continuity of personnel from the Jurgen Klopp era now looks like a masterstroke.
Having said that, Gordon was undeniably an interesting proposition. For that matter, he still
A year on, Slot has had the chance to fully get to grips with his Liverpool squad. And even as the title comes into view, he might wonder if there is still room for improvement on the left wing.
The best word for Luis Diaz would be inconsistent. He’s been on a good run recently, which will skew perspectives heading into the summer, but the start of the year saw a run of seven matches out of nine without a goal contribution.
It’s a relatively similar story with Cody Gakpo. He had hit some fine form, but an injury in February has thrown him off-kilter, with his last goal involvement now more than two months ago
In fairness, Gordon has had the same sort of campaign at Newcastle. His tally of six goals and six assists is no better than what the Liverpool duo have mustered.
Last season, however, he produced 11 goals and 15 assists. Liverpool may yet be tempted to gamble on that sort of output carrying over to Anfield, should Newcastle indicate a willigness to sell.
But that is far from guaranteed. After all, Gordon was only a potential option last summer because of Newcastle’s desperate scramble to get within Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR
With time ticking down, it reluctantly countenanced interest in Gordon. But he had not long ago arrived from Everton, meaning his book value remained high — it would have taken an astronomical offer to actually fix Newcastle’s PSR issues, and that was not forthcoming from Liverpool
There was the outline of a deal that would have seen Joe Gomez move the other way, although it’s unclear exactly how close that came to happening. In the end, Newcastle found another way to get out of the PSR hole.
Yankuba Minteh was sold to Brighton. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest came forward with a proposal for Elliot Anderson.
As an academy graduate, Anderson went down as pure profit on the books, making him a more natural PSR fix than Gordon. Newcastle parted ways reluctantly, but it was viewed as the favorable option.
“Gunna miss you lad,” was Gordon’s simple verdict on the transfer Newcastle had agreed, delivered in reply to Anderson’s farewell post on Instagram. And in a way, he has been proved right
A recent wobble means that Nottingham Forest may well now finish below Newcastle. But both are favorites for a spot in the Champions League next season, with Anderson undoubtedly an important cog in Forest’s massive overachievement.
Even with Eddie Howe’s midfield in such fine shape, there’s little doubt he would prefer to still have Anderson. Gordon’s response when he left spoke volumes, and the perceived injustice of PSR still rankles on Tyneside
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The same goes for Minteh, who in time may prove to be the even bigger miss. He has five goals and four assists at Brighton this season, comparable numbers to Gordon in significantly fewer minutes.
Slot actually worked with Minteh at Feyenoord, where the winger spent last season on loan from Newcastle. He would be another credible summer target for Liverpool
But with the manager hinting that the Reds could make a more major transfer market splash this time around, might Gordon come back onto the radar? Newcastle holds the cards this time, especially if it qualifies for the Champions League as expected — but if the chance does crop up, the Liverpool recruitment team is unlikely to let a slightly quieter campaign for the 24-year-old put them off