Arsenal entered this week reeling from back-to-back domestic defeats. Their Premier League title lead over Manchester City has been slashed after a painful 2-1 loss to Bournemouth at the Emirates on 11 April. Junior Kroupi gave the visitors a well-earned lead before Viktor Gyökeres hauled Arsenal back into the game from the spot, but Alex Scott restored Bournemouth’s advantage in the 74th minute, and Mikel Arteta’s side had no answer.
Meanwhile, Liverpool‘s season took an even harder hit on Tuesday night. Ousmane Dembélé bagged two late goals as Paris Saint-Germain killed off any hopes of a Liverpool comeback, marching into the Champions League semifinals 4-0 on aggregate. Both clubs move into the final weeks of the campaign nursing some serious bruises, and yet the summer transfer rumours are already starting to swirl. The name on everyone’s lips? Anthony Gordon.
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Bayern Munich make their move for Anthony Gordon
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is Bayern Munich’s top target for the summer as they look to beef up the left wing. Bayern have already held talks with Gordon, though they haven’t approached Newcastle United just yet. Vincent Kompany’s side view the 25-year-old England international as the perfect player to compete with Luis Díaz, who has been incredible since moving from Liverpool last summer with 23 goals and 18 assists in 41 games. Plettenberg reports that Bayern are looking at a figure of up to €70 million to pry Gordon away from the Magpies.
Gordon’s numbers this year back up that price tag. In 26 Premier League matches, he has 6 goals and 2 assists, totalling 8 goal involvements at a rate of 0.4 per 90 minutes. His non-penalty expected goals (npxG) of 0.28 per 90 puts his total at 5.70, putting him in the 81st percentile of Premier League players.
On top of that, he completes 25.44 passes per game at an 81.68% success rate and creates 1.24 key passes each match (stats via Footy Stats). His pace, dribbling, and one-on-one threat make him a perfect fit for a club with Bayern’s lofty goals. Newcastle, however, won’t let him go without a fight; his contract runs until 2030, and there is no release clause.
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Would Gordon at Arsenal or Liverpool make genuine sense?
This is where the story gets really interesting. Sources indicate that Gordon’s camp has let Arsenal know the winger is open to a move to the Emirates to work with Arteta, with the Gunners reportedly planning a summer raid on Newcastle. It makes a lot of sense, as Arsenal are crying out for a left winger of Gordon’s quality to push Gabriel Martinelli, and a title-contending club offer the Champions League football that Newcastle currently can’t.
Liverpool, fresh off their European exit, are a more complicated case. Arne Slot’s side sold Luis Díaz to Bayern last summer, and you can still see the hole that move left behind. Gordon would definitely sharpen their attack, but Liverpool’s inconsistent season raises a fair question: can they actually offer him a better shot at major trophies than Arsenal? To be honest, right now, the answer is no.
Arsenal, with Arteta at his tactical peak and a title race still on the cards, look like the more exciting project. Gordon suits that setup much more naturally than a Bayern squad, where he might end up stuck on the bench behind one of Europe’s best wingers.
There isn’t much point in Gordon moving to Munich just to be a backup, whereas a club like Arsenal, who need an upgrade on the left, offer him a starring role. Liverpool are still a possibility, but the timing feels a bit off this year. Arsenal make the most sense, and it looks like the player knows it.
