A Newcastle star's representatives have told Arsenal that he'd be extremely keen to join Mikel Arteta despite serious interest from Liverpool.
Arsenal plot Newcastle raid as summer window looms
Arsenal's summer planning is reportedly heavily intertwined with Eddie Howe's squad.
According to recent reports, Andrea Berta and the Gunners' recruitment team have been eyeing as many as three Magpies stars, with Anthony Gordon, Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali all under serious consideration for a potential approach this summer.
Tonali-Arsenal
Newcastle are currently sat mid-table and are facing the prospect of missing out on European football entirely next season, a situation that gives their key players genuine reason to consider their futures.
Arsenal are alert to that dynamic and have positioned themselves to act if movement becomes possible.
Livramento has been on Berta's radar for a while, potentially driven in part by the ongoing uncertainty around Ben White.
Arsenal's last seven Premier League games in title charge Date
Bournemouth (home) Today
Man City (away) April 19
Newcastle (home) April 25
Fulham (home) May 2
West Ham (away) May 10
Burnley (home) May 17
Crystal Palace (away) May 24
Contract discussions between Livramento and Newcastle are yet to reach a conclusion, which keeps the situation alive as Man City also reportedly eye a move.
Tonali is a different kind of target — a ball-winner and tempo-setter in central midfield who would add a different dimension to a department that already contains Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
He has been linked with Arsenal since reliably reported contact in January, though Tonali's own agent denied formal talks at that stage.
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The Gunners have been offered a discounted price.
Of the three, however, Gordon is the one generating the most significant development.
Arsenal told Anthony Gordon would be very keen to join Arteta
TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey report that Gordon's representatives have been in contact with Arsenal to indicate that the 25-year-old would be very keen on joining the north Londoners.
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon applauds fans after the match
The chance to work under Arteta at a club competing for league titles and in the Champions League is a factor his camp have flagged directly.
Arsenal's primary objective on the left side of attack this summer remains Julian Alvarez, but the Atlético Madrid striker has made clear in his own discussions that he sees himself as a central player rather than a wide one — which limits how straightforward that deal would be.
That has pushed Arteta's team to look elsewhere, and Gordon fits the profile closely.
anthony-gordon-newcastle-sunderland
Gordon was apparently a serious target in the summer of 2024 and the interest never fully went away.
Liverpool have been long-term admirers too, which means any deal would require moving quickly, but Arsenal are very attractive landing spot for Gordon.
Newcastle have made it known internally that they have no intention of conducting a fire sale, so any bid for Gordon would need to be substantial to open a conversation.
The club's valuation of their key assets remains high, and selling three significant players in a single window would represent a fundamental shift in their transfer philosophy.
Whether Gordon, who is allegedly valued at around £80m, becomes one of those departures remains an open question.
However, the notion that his representatives are now communicating his interest to Arsenal directly suggests this summer's story is already developing.
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He's making good progress.