Could there yet be life in a deal for Anthony Gordon?
As reported by the ECHO, Liverpool have turned down an approach from Newcastle United to sign the winger after the Magpies requested Jarell Quansah in return.
Quansah proved himself to be a reliable performer during his breakthrough season, with the exception of a costly error punished by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, and it would certainly have come as a shock had the Reds been open to offloading the 21-year-old.
What’s worth remembering in the case of Gordon, however, is Newcastle are showing signs of desperation after directly approaching Liverpool over a transfer deal. Eddie Howe’s side need to sell players before the Profit and Sustainability accounting deadline of June 30 in order to avoid the risk of a possible points deduction or hefty fine.
As a direct consequence of this, the Magpies appear to be frantically attempting to balance their books in any way possible. The Daily Mail have reported Newcastle are also having conversations with Nottingham Forest over a swap that would see Anthony Elanga come to St James’ Park and Elliot Anderson head to the City Ground.
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It is anticipated Newcastle may also have to unwillingly sanction a big-money sale involving either Alexander Isak or Bruno Guimaraes, in a major blow to their hopes of vying for European football next season. Chelsea this week launched an enquiry to recruit Isak, meanwhile Guimaraes is understood to be a target for Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool are also admirers of the Brazilian, as previously pointed out by the ECHO.
Howe has repeatedly reiterated his desire for both players to remain on Tyneside, though the club’s CEO Darren Eales admitted in January that may not be possible after losses of £73.4m were recorded in their financial results for 2022-23.
“Any decision we make will always be against the backdrop of the medium to long-term benefit for the club,” explained Eales. “It’s difficult to say specifically on certain players, but I can say that, if we’re going to get to where we want to get to, at times it is necessary to trade your players. Whether that is because of the contract length of the player in question, the offer is too good to refuse, you need to reload in certain areas, but all of this could make sense to trade that player. It is counter-intuitive and part of the inherent system of PSR that there is an incentive to trade your players if you want to re-invest, by the nature of the boundaries.”
The opportunity to take advantage of Newcastle’s unfavourable financial situation is clear, so how do Liverpool proceed if they are unwilling for Quansah to be sacrificed? An obvious solution would be to propose Caoimhin Kelleher acting as the makeweight, which could satisfy all parties concerned.
Kelleher admitted earlier this month he now sees himself as a regular starter and may have to secure a move elsewhere to make this possible. Liverpool rejected an offer from Nottingham Forest in January, with the bid later dismissed as derisory from senior figures at the club, and it is understood it will take an offer worth approximately £30m for an exit to be approved.
Newcastle themselves are on the lookout for a new shot-stopper after losing former Liverpool man Loris Karius and back-up Martin Dubravka facing an uncertain future. The Toon Army have been in talks with Burnley over a deal for James Trafford in recent weeks, though progress in their pursuit has seemingly stalled of late.
Liverpool, therefore, can provide the perfect answer for both clubs. Kelleher would face the prospect of battling Nick Pope for a starting spot, though will surely recognise this proposition is far more favourable than ousting Alisson, who is widely regarded as the best in the business.
After deputising so effectively in the absence of Alisson over the years, Kelleher could have another key part to play for Liverpool – only this time off the pitch.