NEWCASTLE are on the verge of tieing down Anthony Gordon to a new long-term contract – despite the star telling England team-mates at Euro 2024 he was heading to Liverpool.
The 23-year-old moved to St. James’ Park in a £45m deal from Everton in January 2022 and has become a key man in Eddie Howe’s side.
However, with his contract due to expire in 2026, pressure was mounting on Toon’s sporting director Paul Mitchell to sort out the winger’s future.
The chief’s relationship with Howe has been the subject of much speculation since he failed to land any top transfer targets this summer.
But the head coach will be delighted to discover that Gordon and the club are close to agreeing terms on an extension.
Talks have intensified over recent weeks and Sun Sport understands that the final few details of the package will be completed shortly.
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It comes after Gordon’s head was turned while on England duty at the Euros as he nearly returned to Merseyside to join Liverpool – the club he supported as a boy.
The Magpies were desperate to meet PSR regulations at the end of June and there were talks over a potential £100m move to Anfield.
Newcastle eventually sold Yankuba Minteh to Brighton instead but that was only after sources informed us he had told a number of people in the Three Lions camp that he was heading to the Reds.
But the North East club want to reward him for his performances and secure his future, especially with Arsenal also interested in him.
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And Gordon himself is keen to put pen to paper and focus all of his efforts on trying to get Newcastle back into Europe.
Howe stressed the importance of Mitchell sorting out Gordon’s contract last week, saying: “I think having your players secure in their futures is key to their performances.
“You don’t want the transfer speculation or the contracts potentially running into shorter terms because I think that it distracts and rarely benefits the player or the club.
“So, my wish is that players are always focussed on their performances and that the outside distraction is minimal.
“Our best way to do that is to get them secure and happy but of course there is a balance because with wage structures and PSR we can’t be reckless with what we do either.
“So we have to get those calls right but, of course, getting those players to play at their best levels will have a dramatic effect on our season.
“I think that if there are issues with either player, or any player, then of course communication and resolving any issues is really important.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
