Eddie Howe has already been briefed on the future of Anthony Gordon as the Magpies face up to reality
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of Newcastle United shares a joke with Anthony Gordon
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of Newcastle United shares a joke with Anthony Gordon(Image: Getty Images)
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Anthony Gordon remains part of Newcastle United's preparations for Sunday's clash with Nottingham Forest - despite fresh talk of a summer exit.
Behind the scenes, there is an acceptance that Gordon is potentially entering his last month as a Toon player and Eddie Howe has been aware of that for some time, with the need to sell stars high on the agenda amid talk of SCR compliance and an impending UEFA fine on the horizon. Chronicle Live was told last week that talk of Gordon leaving had substance with recent rumours hardly denied by insiders.
CEO David Hopkinson made it clear that stars had to be sold when speaking in March and a "sell to buy" policy was going to be needed to deal with SCR rules.
However, Gordon has not pushed for a move or put in any type of transfer request, with head coach Howe protecting the ex-Everton man in recent press conferences and maintaining he was recovering from a hip flexor injury. Gordon was not risked from the bench in the 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at St James' Park.
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But he will be back in contention for minutes against Forest at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon in a game Newcastle must win to keep their slight European hopes alive. Although, his future after May 24 - when Newcastle play Fulham in the season finale in the capital - is less clear.
German giants Bayern Munich remain interested, but they have their own valuation in mind for the Scouser and won't pay anything they deem over the odds. A £74million price tag is expected to be demanded for Gordon, with 15% of the fee owed to his previous club, Everton.
Members of Gordon's agency - Unique Sports Group - were pictured by Spanish media in Barcelona earlier this week. But Chronicle Live has been told that their presence in Catalonia was to discuss other targets with the Nou Camp club.
With Barca in €1.8bn in debt, they know they have to sell to buy, rely on free transfers and look at loan deals, hence USG's presence. Barca aren't in a starting position to join Bayern Munich in the race to sign the England forward and are even struggling to find a way to finance a £26m deal for Marcus Rashford from Man United.
Gordon has a contract with Newcastle until 2030, and Newcastle is in a strong position in terms of demanding a fee for his services. The Kirkdale-born star has interest from the Premier League too, with Arsenal and Liverpool keeping tabs on his situation.
But the Gunners also have financial restrictions, and sources on Merseyside played down suggestions of a move for the Toon star last month. Howe will oversee training and assess Gordon's fitness levels before the Forest clash.
Speaking on Gordon last week, Howe said said: "Yeah, he did a session on Wednesday, part of the session on Wednesday. And yeah, great to see him back on the pitch. He's obviously a player of huge quality and one that we've missed.
"We'll make an assessment on his fitness closer to the game. We'll see how he gets through today."
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