Liverpool‘s fears about failing to qualify for the Champions League have been allayed after a bout of good form and Chelsea’s struggles in the Premier League.
However, Arne Slot is still a man under pressure, having overseen a wretched title defence at Anfield and recently watched his beleaguered team suffer knockout defeats against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in the FA Cup and Champions League respectively (both by 4-0 scorelines).
If FSG do decide to stick and not twist this summer, Slot will need to oversee a number of sharp improvements. The likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, for example, need to click into gear, both poor since arriving last summer for a combined fee of £240m.
You would think that the attacking duo, two of the most talented players in Europe, will return to the form that prompted FSG to pull out the chequebook, but Liverpool could do with some more support, and they have their sights set on a new top winger to join the Anfield ranks.
In-demand winger chooses Liverpool
Liverpool are hardly riding the crest of a wave in the Premier League, but if they can just secure their place among Europe’s elite next season, Slot and co will have more than enough to build back toward superstardom.
Isak hasn’t been good enough, though, and he will need to return to his imperious Newcastle standard if Liverpool are going to challenge for the biggest titles.
But with Mohamed Salah leaving at the end of the season, it’s going to be difficult, and Liverpool need new wingers to combat the latest round of changes.
According to TEAMtalk, Anthony Gordon could be brought in to help with the changing of the guard. The 24-year-old supposedly fancies a change of scenery this season, and Liverpool have already opened talks with his representatives as they push to sign the Newcastle United winger.
Bayern Munich are ready to go neck and neck for the Three Lions star’s signature, but after leaving Liverpool’s academy as a boy, it’s believed that Gordon favours a return home.
Gordon has been priced at £70m.
Why Gordon could be Liverpool’s new Isak
Gordon could prove the perfect player to bring Isak back up to his highest level. After all, the duo wreaked havoc under Eddie Howe’s wing at Newcastle, combining directly ten times for the Tynesiders.
Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton in a £45m package in January 2023. He has ebbed and flowed ever since, but the high points have been high indeed, and he has done enough to suggest that he could become a leading Premier League winger.
In fairness, Gordon has already been described as a forward who “any manager would like” by Liverpool analyst Asim Mahmood, who suggested he could be a worthwhile addition now that Hugo Ekitike is out for a long time having ruptured his Achilles heel.
That instant impact could see Gordon not only impress alongside Isak but emerge as the talismanic force that his former teammate was supposed to be on Merseyside.
|
Anthony Gordon – Career Stats by Position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals + Assists |
|
Left winger |
153 |
34 + 33 |
|
Right winger |
54 |
8 + 8 |
|
Centre-forward |
30 |
14 + 2 |
|
Attacking midfield |
23 |
13 + 2 |
Liverpool would, of course, be repeating their record-breaking raid on St. James’ Park last summer, but moreover, they would solve a desperate attacking issue by adding Gordon to their ranks, with the winger hopefully enjoying a more emphatic return than Isak across his first term on Merseyside.
Despite struggling at times this season, Gordon has scored 17 goals in all competitions, especially prolific in the Champions League. His combative energy and the aforementioned ability to produce across a range of attacking roles suggests that he is well-suited to a Liverpool berth under Slot’s wing, and his Prem-proven experience is an additional plus.
Gordon is not a perfect wide forward, but he’s dangerous and he’s dynamic. As far as his connection with Isak goes, the proof is in the pudding, but he could actually emerge as Slot’s new version of the Sweden striker, joining from Newcastle but making the instant impact that was envisaged yet has not come to pass.
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