Barcelona have stepped up their interest in Gordon after Bayern Munich links
Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon's future remains unclear(Image: Getty Images)
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Another day, another Anthony Gordon update. This time, it seems as if Barcelona have taken pole position in the race to sign the Newcastle United winger.
Reports in Spain this morning suggested Barca sporting director Deco was in London for talks, not only over signing Chelsea forward Joao Pedro but also over a move for Gordon.
The 25-year-old is expected to leave Newcastle this summer after three-and-a-half years on Tyneside and Eddie Howe did not select him in any of the Magpies' final six matches of the season as he picked a team with the 'future in mind'.
During that time it has always felt as if it was a case of when he would leave Newcastle rather than if and then the next question, naturally, was where would he go?
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Until now, Bayern Munich have felt like the favourites to sign him. The German champions have made Gordon their top priority this summer and the noises in Germany were that they were confident he wanted to move to the Allianz Arena, where he would be linking up with his England team-mate Harry Kane.
Vincent Kompany's side see Gordon as a player who can play right across the frontline and while he may not be a guaranteed starter ahead of Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Luis Diaz, their rigorous schedule would give him plenty of opportunity to thrive.
But now Mundo Deportivo have strongly suggested Gordon 'prioritises' a move to Barcelona over Bayern and any potential Premier League interest that may still emerge, claiming Barcelona want to finalise the deal quickly.
They claim Barcelona want to sign the 25-year-old on a five-year contract and would have no issues affording his salary. Barcelona would see Gordon as competition for Raphinha on the left-wing but also an option up front, which lessens the pressure on them securing an immediate replacement for the outgoing Robert Lewandowski.
Yet, the elephant in the room remains, despite all the briefing in Germany and in Spain, both clubs are way off, and perhaps even unwilling, to meet Newcastle's current asking price of around £70-75million.
Until that changes, or a compromise is reached, the situation will remain in stasis. Newcastle CEO David Hopkinson may have admitted one or two big players may be sold this summer but he also stressed it would be on their terms.
While United recognise they cannot allow another Alexander Isak situation to develop where the saga rumbles on for the entire summer transfer window and leaves Newcastle hamstrung on deadline day, they also have to ensure they extract the maximum amount for a player who has developed exponentially under the tutelage of Eddie Howe.
Gordon joined Newcastle in January 2023 for £45million. In that time he has become an England regular, a Champions League goalscorer and one of the best wingers in the Premier League. Given he is still under contract at St James' Park for another four years then they need to be compensated fairly.
All parties would like a conclusion quickly, ideally before the World Cup starts on June 11, but Newcastle have to look after themselves financially to allow themselves to find the best possible replacement. Until an offer arrives that will satisfy that necessity then everything else remains pretty meaningless.