It had got far enough along for the press releases to be drawn up.
The cogs were turning on Anthony Gordon‘s move from Everton to Chelsea and the Toffees had their ducks in a row. Having signaled to fans their star boy wasn’t for sale earlier in the summer of 2022 they wanted to get their retaliation in first if the £60m deal Gordon was pushing for went through.
Perhaps they needn’t have worried. The consensus seemed to be that it was Chelsea who had the explaining to do. Talented though he was, Everton couldn’t turn down that kind of money. On Tyneside, where Newcastle United had pressed to sign him for months, the reflex reaction was relief.
The deal broke down, of course. Gordon stayed on and largely underwhelmed in a team struggling at the foot of the table, which knocked £15m off his price tag when Newcastle returned to take advantage of Everton’s desperation in January. Simon Jordan, never shy of an opinion or seven, branded the fee “laughable” and speculated on Gordon’s attitude problem.
12 months on – and after a performance of relentless drive helped inspire Newcastle’s record-breaking 8-0 shellacking of Sheffield United – Gordon is starting look every inch the player who topped so many top six clubs’ wish lists.
A £45m bargain? Why not. Performances so far this season hint at the level Newcastle believe he can eventually aspire to.
“Euro 2024 is a very realistic aim for him,” one insider tells i.
They add that the Gordon deal is the best evidence yet that Newcastle’s transfer policy – called into question for the first time by some supporters this summer – can keep them one step ahead of their top four rivals.
What the Magpies’ scouts had identified in Gordon was no big secret. A player of remarkable athleticism, reports noted he was equally as adept at wreaking havoc with his pace and directness from both flanks. Eddie Howe loves versatility and when married with Gordon’s pace, dynamism and aggression it made obvious sense.
But Newcastle’s recruitment brains trust also agreed that they were buying potential – which is where their trust in Howe appears so important.
Had he gone to Chelsea, where the flow of talent has been more of a tsunami of late, would he have survived the disappointing first few months he had at St James’ Park?
A glance at the mess at Stamford Bridge, where bigger names have fallen by the wayside, suggests not. On Tyneside he has been afforded the time, patience and coaching attention to detail to get up to speed with the exacting demands of a head coach going nowhere.
To his credit, the 21-year-old has never sugarcoated the struggles he had last season. It felt claustrophobic at Goodison Park, Gordon admitting he was “trying too hard” to impress Frank Lampard. When he arrived at Newcastle he found his fitness wanting: he could get into the positions Howe wanted him but then found the tank was running empty when asked to affect the game with the ball.
Gordon’s progress since has been remarkable, a testament both to his own insatiable desire to improve and Newcastle’s determination to create a crucible of learning, where players go up a level through Howe’s meticulous coaching methods.
It is the formula, Newcastle insiders reveal, that they believe will help them solve the conundrum of becoming Champions League regulars without blowing apart Financial Fair Play rules.
Take their decision to go for Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento this summer. Newcastle had more pressing needs than in full-back but deals for both will – in the confident words of one insider – save the club “£40m to 50m” in the long-term. Given FFP limits their potential to sign scores of ready-made stars, they believe they have no other choice.
“While others are reactive, we’ll be proactive,” was how one described it in the summer. Brokering a deal for Gordon when his stock was low means he can be the poster boy of that approach.
It helps when points arrive to back up the process and Bramall Lane was just what Newcastle needed to end a perfect week that has relaunched their season. Three clean sheets, two countries, seven points and a return of their buccaneering best is the perfect springboard for the visit of Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday.
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