Does Newcastle United bid for Anthony Gordon really make sense?

Anthony Gordon was a Newcastle United target in the summer.

However, that interest going nowhere as Chelsea added the young Everton winger / attacking midfielder to their ever increasing list of targets.

The new Stamford Bridge owners ended up becoming record breakers, spending some £270m in their first (summer 2022) transfer window, though that didn’t include Anthony Gordon.

Everton turning down £40m for the 21 year old, then also knocking back an offer of £45m, before very late in the window the blue scousers widely reported to have turned down a £60m last ditch bid from Chelsea.

The opening couple of Chelsea offers had been enough to cool Newcastle United interest.

However, £60m (£SIXTY MILLION) just seemed absolutely crazy, considering just how little Anthony Gordon had actually achieved by that point in his brief career. Yes he had looked decent and managed four goals and two assists in a very poor struggling team, though hardly anything close to justifying that kind of reported offer.

With Chelsea though, such was their willingness to spend spend spend in the summer, what difference would another £60m make?

With so few players of any kind of quality, you could understand Everton hanging on to Anthony Gordon, especially with him being a local lad who’d come through the ranks and someone who the supporters could identify with.

Getting to this current January 2023 transfer window and Chelsea spending crazy money yet again on numerous players, however, any interest in Anthony Gordon having seemingly disappeared.

This season things have gone from bad to worse for Everton and Anthony Gordon has also seen his form slip.

Everton have only picked up one point from their last seven Premier League matches, six defeats and a total fluke at Man City getting the very fortunate single point.

In their last 14 matches (all competitions) eleven defeats, two draws and one win, Everton are out of both cup competitions and looking nailed on for relegation.

For Anthony Gordon, he has been left out of the last couple of Premier League matches. Coming off the bench for the final 21 minutes in the 2-1 home defeat to Southampton, the 21 year old one of those targeted by the Everton supporters with the team sinking fast.

After that latest home defeat, you could understand the Everton Directors staying away due to threats, as Anthony Gordon found himself trapped by Everton fans surrounding his car, telling him he wasn’t fit to wear the shirt and to get out of their club.

At the weekend, Anthony Gordon was an unused sub in the latest defeat at West Ham.

Newcastle United now claimed to be renewing their interest and a potential valuation / transfer of £25m to £30m sounding a lot more closer to the mark, of his true value, based on what he has achieved and the potential for future improvement he is perceived to have.

The loan transfer of Chris Wood with obligation for a permanent move, has opened up a space in the squad and of course meant saved wages and a loan fee, plus another £15m reportedly set to be banked by Newcastle in the summer from Forest. Ryan Fraser is also set to be on his way before we get to February, the player looking for first team football and NUFC making him available.

The question for me though is…Does this seemingly imminent Newcastle United bid for Anthony Gordon really make sense?

Anthony Gordon is a hard working winger / midfielder with a bit of spark and he’s not slow, also puts himself about.

However, Newcastle United already have a fair few players with those kind of qualities, so what about the other stuff…you know, goals and assists?

Well, the Anthony Gordon career record in the Premier League so far has seen him make 65 Premier League appearances (42 starts, 23 off the bench), scoring seven goals and getting three assists, having played 4,270 minutes of PL football so far.

These are the stats for Newcastle United players in comparison in the Premier League, I have kept it to this season and last for the NUFC player stats:

Sean Longstaff 44 PL appearances (31 starts 13 sub) 2 goals and 3 assists (2,963 PL minutes played)

Bruno G.  34 PL appearances (28 starts 6 sub) 8 goals and 4 assists (2,439 PL minutes played)

Joelinton 53 PL appearances (47 starts 6 sub) 6 goals and 2 assists (4,069 PL minutes played)

Joe Willock 49 PL appearances (42 starts 7 sub) 4 goals and 2 assists (3,503 PL minutes played)

Allan Saint-Maximin 47 PL appearances (35 starts 12 sub) 6 goals and 8 assists (3,292 PL minutes played)

Miguel Almiron 50 PL appearances (39 starts 11 sub) 10 goals and 1 assist (4,108 PL minutes played)

Jacob Murphy 46 PL appearances (22 starts 24 sub) 3 goals and 4 assists (2,151 PL minutes played)

Jonjo Shelvey 27 PL appearances (22 starts 5 sub) 2 goals and 1 assist (2,020 PL minutes played)

I think the best way to compare and contrast the various Newcastle United players and Anthony Gordon, is to compare their direct goal involvements (goals and assists) compared to minutes played.

That gives us the following stat for each player, of the average number of minutes for each Premier League direct goal involvement:

Anthony Gordon – 427 minutes per PL direct goal involvement on average

Sean Longstaff – 423 minutes

Bruno G.  – 203 minutes

Joelinton – 508 minutes

Joe Willock – 583 minutes

Allan Saint-Maximin – 235 minutes

Miguel Almiron – 373 minutes

Jacob Murphy – 307 minutes

Jonjo Shelvey 673 minutes

Bruno Guimaraes only scored three goals in over 70 Lyon appearances but under Eddie Howe the Brazilian has improved immeasurably, in terms of becoming a goal threat, both scoring and assisting. He is averaging a PL direct goal involvement almost every two matches worth of football, every 203 minutes.

The fans who think Newcastle should be letting ASM leave…have a word with yourself! A PL goal involvement every 235 minutes is very decent and I think now fully fit and playing under Eddie Howe, that is set to improve further.

As for the rest? All very much of a muchness for me, when it comes to scoring and assisting goals.

We love the hard work and commitment they all put in BUT there just isn’t enough direct goal involvement, Newcastle need more goals and assists from the midfield and wingers.

From the list of players above, personally, I think that it is a case of Joelinton, Bruno and ASM as the trio I would select. Joelinton and Bruno are Newcastle’s best two players out of this group in terms of what they give overall, then ASM after them.

I like pretty much all of these players but we need more from them when it comes to goals and assists and / or to make new signings.

Miguel Almiron had that excellent goalscoring run but great as it was, I can’t help feeling that it was a bit like the Joe Willock one when the then Arsenal midfielder was on loan. Right time and right place and everything he hit came off. I remember Willock that half season scoring his eight PL goals in 2020/21 from only 17 chances. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miguel Almiron had scored his nine PL goals this season from not many more opportunities. Recently though the goals have dried up again, Newcastle’s last 10 matches (all competitions) have seen Miggy score just once, his ninth of the season at Leicester on Boxing Day.

With seven goals and three assists so far in 4,270 PL minutes, a direct goal average of one every 427 minutes is nothing to shout about, averaging a goal or assist every four and a half matches worth of minutes.

Question is, if playing in a much better team and for an infinitely superior manager in Eddie Howe, could Anthony Gordon have plenty of room for improvement when it comes to being a goal threat?

One to watch.