The Scouse star looks to have played his final game for the Magpies - and appeared to be saying goodbye to key figures
Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Anthony Gordon held a long conversation with Newcastle United coach Graeme Jones ahead of the clash with Fulham on Sunday.
Whether it was "farewell" after working with the former England assistant boss since 2023 remains to be seen. But Gordon cut the figure of a man stuck in transfer limbo on the final day of the campaign, something that has hung over him for the last six weeks.
Chronicle Live can reveal that talk of Gordon's exit stretches back to the week of the Barcelona game with the Champions League exit then confirming his run at St James' Park was likely to end after the battering at the Nou Camp. Sources close to Gordon said then that the club would have to part with a star or two in order to facilitate summer deals.
When asked about Gordon's future, Howe remained slightly cautious after the 2-0 defeat at Fulham, in which the Liverpool-born forward was an unused substitute. He said: "I don't know. You can never predict what is going to happen. He obviously goes to the World Cup now, so we wish him well."
Anthony Gordon speaks to Newcastle United coach Graeme Jones at Fulham
Anthony Gordon speaks to Newcastle coach Graeme Jones at Fulham(Image: ChronicleLive)
View 2 Images
It's understood that discussions between Newcastle and Bayern Munich will continue in the next week or so. Whether Gordon exits Newcastle before the World Cup, which would suit everybody, is also up for debate.
When probed on whether it could be the last dance for Gordon at Fulham, Howe had said: "It’s a difficult one for me to comment on, in terms of how he should be remembered, because that's us almost saying that he is going, and there's no guarantee.
"We don't know at this moment whether it will be his last game. Obviously, I've picked a team, as I've said many times, that in the last few weeks has been performing well.
"Anthony's come back from injury. He's been great around the group. He's been absolutely part of the team, so there have been no issues. Let's see what happens.
"The right time to give an answer to that question would be if he does leave, and then I'll obviously discuss that with you."
On the final whistle at Craven Cottage, Fulham boss Marco Silva hugged Gordon after his stint as an unused sub. Of course, Gordon was managed by Silva at Everton but if he was congratulating him on his move to Bayern, it would be far from suprising.
Silva then made a reference to Newcaste's budget compared to that of the Cottagers. He said after the game: "Against a Newcastle United side, I don’t want to compare, but when I look at their substitutions and I see players from the eleven go out, 60, 70, 80 million [pounds], and players to go in, 60 and 70 million [pounds], it just speaks about sometimes the difference on the paper that is there."
*Get Chronicle Premium now for just £1*HERE– exclusive news and features, our NUFC and Academy notebooks, John Gibson's columns plus an ad-lite experience****