Liverpool’s transfer plans appear to align with an Arne Slot ‘obsession’ as the Dutchman prepares to take over at Anfield. The Reds have reached an agreement with Feyenoord for Slot, who claims his appointment could be confirmed in a ‘matter of days’.
During his time with the Eredivisie side, Slot has been known for placing huge importance on the role of wingers in his side. He often sets his teams up with full-backs brought inside, allowing wide men to isolate their opponents.
While his arrival at Anfield is yet to be announced, The Athletic reports that Liverpool is already in the market for another winger. That is despite already having five attackers at his disposal.
It is claimed that Slot wants his wide attackers to be ‘dynamic, quick and direct’, with the ability to perform well in one-on-one situations. And this season there have been few as effective as Anthony Gordon.
The 23-year-old joined Newcastle from Everton in January 2023 and after a slow start, has been in lethal form under Eddie Howe. He has scored 11 goals and provided a further 10 assists, pushing him into contention for a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.
Across the entire Premier League, no player has made more successful take-ons of an opponent that lead to a goal than the Newcastle man (per fbref). Gordon is also in the top five for progressive carries, with Bukayo Saka and Alejandro Garnacho among those ahead of him.
It may explain then why Gordon has emerged as a reported target for Liverpool, despite his Everton links. The Daily Star reports that Liverpool is eyeing a move for the winger, with Newcastle potentially having to sell one of its prized assets to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules.
He won’t come cheaply though, with Newcastle reportedly looking for more than double what it paid for the player. The report states a bid of nearly $125m (£100m/€116m) would be needed to tempt Newcastle into doing business.
Gordon was actually on Liverpool’s books as a youngster before joining Everton. In a recent interview with Gary Neville, he spoke of his admiration for past and current members of the Reds set-up.
“Steven Gerrard was my football hero growing up,” he said on The Overlap. “Coming from Liverpool, he was like a God in Liverpool, and he was an unbelievable player.”
He also lauded Mohamed Salah, having been inspired by the Egyptian to improve his mindset off the pitch. He added: “I saw Mo Salah talk about it — that’s where I took even more interest, because I see him as an absolute machine and a winner. People like that, you’re not going to go too far wrong following what they do.”
Liverpool.com says: Gordon has developed into one of the best wingers in the Premier League at Newcastle, having shown glimpses of his promise at Everton. The Magpies will have no interest in selling him but may be left with little choice if it wants to strengthen this summer. He would be a great addition for Liverpool but one that only makes sense if Luis Díaz or Mohamed Salah goes.
