Liverpool offered ‘one of the best players in PL’ for £85m with ‘growing concern’ in England camp over move

Liverpool were ‘presented with the chance’ by Newcastle United to seal a deal for Anthony Gordon for £85m, according to reports.

The Reds made an enquiry about the England international’s availability before June 30 as the Magpies were vulnerable to bids as they looked to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

However, their interest did not materialise into a bid and Daily Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards responded on X to a fan who suggested that Newcastle had ‘touted’ Gordon to a Premier League rival in Liverpool.

Edwards wrote: ‘He wasn’t offered to Liverpool. There was a conversation as Liverpool were interested and Newcastle were in a mess with PSR. No bid was made and obvious from those conversations that Liverpool wouldn’t meet valuation. Gordon’s head is in a mess as he thought he had chance to join boyhood club.’

But, according to GiveMeSport, Newcastle did offer Liverpool the chance to buy Gordon for £85m with the former Everton star ‘keen on returning to his boyhood club’.

‘Naturally, there is an element of rewriting when any deal doesn’t come off, and Newcastle sources maintain it was Liverpool who reached out,’ they wrote.

‘But sources close to Liverpool insist they were presented with the chance to sign the 23-year-old for close to £85million.

‘Gordon, for his part, was keen on returning to his boyhood club, but nothing progressed.

‘Although the figure quoted was around £15million less than the £100million Liverpool believed Newcastle would ask for, it was still deemed too high.

‘Liverpool remain admirers of Gordon, but won’t try to sign him unless the price drops significantly.’

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher declared Gordon as “one of the best players” in the Premier League in December after a brilliant first half of the campaign for Newcastle.

Carragher wrote on X: “Anthony Gordon has been one of the best players in the PL this season.”

And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently insisted that a deal to take Gordon to Anfield from Newcastle was “never really close” last month.

“What I’m told is the deal was never really close between Liverpool and Newcastle. They had a conversation. They had an exchange about the possibility, but the price tag was way too high for Liverpool to make things happen,” Romano told Caught Offside.

“A swap deal was also really complicated as Liverpool didn’t want to lose some of their best players. So, it was an idea, it was a conversation but it was never something really close.

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“The player was over the moon – the player was keen on joining Liverpool. But at the end between the two clubs, like Alexander Isak with Chelsea, it was never something really concrete.”

Gordon thought at one point that he could secure a dream move to his boyhood club and the Daily Star claims that there is now ‘growing concern’ in the England camp that he has been ‘distracted’ by the Liverpool speculation.

‘There is growing concern in the England camp about Antony Gordon being distracted by a possible move to Liverpool. The Newcastle winger has been hoping to earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI.

‘But that is not going to happen. And sources in the camp claim Gordon has taken his eye off the ball a little bit, with speculation mounting he could join Liverpool following the tournament.’