Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley has revealed that Liverpool really tried to snap up England international attacking midfielder Anthony Gordon before the end of the financial year on June 30.
The 23-year-old was on the radar of the Reds and was keen on the move, telling his Three Lions teammates about a potential switch to the Anfield club.
Staveley has now revealed how desperate Liverpool were to recruit the services of Gordon as Newcastle made frantic efforts to balance the books and meet the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) as a possible points-deduction loomed large.
“My biggest concern was that we’d lose Alex (Isak) or Anthony (Gordon) because Liverpool chased him and both are extraordinary players,” she told The Athletic.
“Negotiating is tough because you have to pretend it means nothing to you when it means everything.”
While reports claimed Liverpool were lukewarm in their interest, failed to make a bid and the numbers they talked about were so low they would not have made a meaningful contribution to the PSR deficit, it appears that they were actually serious about signing Gordon going by the revelation from Staveley.
The Reds are still looking to bolster their ranks as manager Arne Slot wants to hit the ground running in his debut campaign in charge, but landing the Newcastle star this summer looks to be off the cards as his club no longer has a need to sell him.
His agent pushed hard for him to get the move to his boyhood club right up until the June 30 deadline, but it fell through as Staveley held on to the 2023-24 Newcastle player of the season.
Liverpool are expected to hold on to Mohamed Salah beyond this summer, which has made going after another winger less likely, and this summer was never going to be a busy one considering they have a youthful squad with potential.
Gordon will have to wait until another time for him to get the chance to join Liverpool from the look of things, but Newcastle will hope they can keep doing enough to hold on to the England international.
