Liverpool transfers: Slot to unlock blockbuster deal for Anthony Gordon with Reds star set for positional change

Liverpool are reportedly plotting another move for Anthony Gordon this summer amid claims Newcastle have named their price over a deal and with Arne Slot ready to move another big-money Reds player into a new role to accommodate the arrival of the England winger.

The Reds recently held talks with their Premier League rivals over a prospective deal to bring Gordon back to Merseyside. With Newcastle needing to raise funds to appease Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), a conversation was held over a deal to sell the 23-year-old to Liverpool.

And while the fee was deemed too costly for the Merseysiders at the time, the Newcastle attempt to talk the Reds into parting company with Jarell Quansah as part of the deal were also quickly batted away.

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As a result, conversations between the two sides never really got off the ground, with the Magpies ultimately easing their concerns of facing a Premier League points penalty by instead striking deals to sell Elliott Anderson (£35m to Nottingham Forest) and Yankuba Minteh (£30m to Brighton) instead.

Nonetheless, a significant update from Fabrizio Romano earlier this week suggested the Reds’ interest in Gordon is not yet over.

And having supported Liverpool as a boy, together with the fact that Gordon actually started out in the Reds academy before switching to Everton at the age of 11, TEAMtalk understands that the player, while currently happy at St James’ Park, would have more than welcomed a potential switch back to his boyhood club.

Liverpool transfers: Slot learns price needed for Anthony Gordon deal

Newcastle, for their part, certainly do not want to lose Gordon.

The winger excelled during his first full season on Tyneside, scoring 12 times and adding 11 assists – as well as winning a clutch of penalties – in form that not only saw him named the club’s player of the year, but also saw him gatecrash his way into England’s Euro 2024 squad.

As a result, they are understood to value the player at a minimum £70m to £80m – a significant jump on their initial £45m investment.

However, transfer journalist Pete O’Rourke claims that Newcastle could still be forced to cash in on Gordon this summer should the player make it clear he wants the move to Anfield.

And while Eddie Howe is planning for the new season with Gordon a big part of his plans, a potential sale cannot be ruled out if an offer deemed too good to turn down is sent Newcastle’s way.

To that end, they report Newcastle would want a fee ultimately topping £100m with add-ons and bonuses and that such an offer could yet tempt them into his sale.

Reds boss Slot certainly remains keen on the player too, having seriously warned to the notion of signing him last weekend once the option was presented to him.

The Dutchman is seemingly keen to add another addition to his attack, though reports on Friday suggested Liverpool were also looking at three other alternatives to Gordon, with a £172m-rated attacking trio all under the Merseysiders’ microscope.

Slot plans to accommodate new winger with Gakpo positional switch

O’Rourke also claims Liverpool plan to make room for a new wing addition this summer by moving Reds star Cody Gakpo into a new positon next summer.

The Dutchman joined in an initial £37m, rising to £40m, deal from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and has proved a useful option for the Reds so far, scoring 23 goals and adding nine assists from 77 appearances so far.

However, he has never quite hit the heights expected of him, having to share the attacking responsibilities at Anfield with a number of other quality options.

Often seen playing off the left wing as an inverted winger, Gakpo has lit up Euro 2024 with his form so far, scoring three goals and adding an assist from four matches so far. His Netherlands side face a tasty quarter-final tie against Turkey on Saturday evening – and Gakpo will again be a central to their hopes of reaching the last four and a potential semi-final date with England or Switzerland.

Discussing his form at Euro 2024 so far, Slot said of Gakpo on Friday: “I am hoping he will step up even more. We are hoping and expecting him to do even better. He has been impressive and had a good tournament so far.

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“We’ve inherited a good team. With the way I look at football, I can see how important it is to work on a daily basis. Not all players have the same level they have at their clubs. There is already a really good team. Few good signings last year.

“Normally you see things will improve. I was hoping if people looked at my team, it wasn’t 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. It’s a lot of freedom to take different positions. A lot of freedom when we have the ball. When we don’t have the ball, we want to be really aggressive.

“I wouldn’t say I prefer 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. If you asked me, I’d have said we played 4-3-3. Full-backs have different roles. I’ve seen a lot of games and training sessions, but you know them better if you are with them. We do need to find things to improve.”

Now according to O’Rourke, Gakpo will be used in a more central striking position next season, with Slot seeing that as the attacker’s best position and a way to get the very best from him at Anfield.