Anthony Gordon will want to join Liverpool - but they should move for another forward

Anthony Gordon would be interested in a move to Liverpool from Newcastle United, believes former Reds star Glen Johnson.

Gordon has been one of the standout players in the Premier League this season, returning 10 goals and 10 assists for Newcastle from 34 appearances in the English top flight. Meanwhile, such eye-catching form earned the winger an England debut against Brazil back in March.

Gordon only joined the Magpies from Everton in a £45m deal in January 2023, with eyebrows initially raised at the hefty transfer fee. Starting only four of his 16 appearances for the club last year, scoring just once on the final day of the season, understandably did not aid matters.

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However, the 23-year-old forward has emphatically silenced his doubters this season, with reports over the weekend even suggesting he was attracting interest from Liverpool as a result.

A boyhood Reds fan, Gordon actually started his career with Liverpool before joining Everton after being released as an 11-year-old. Meanwhile, he has previously admitted his favourite player growing up was Steven Gerrard and points to Mohamed Salah as one of his current idols.

And Johnson, who was still a Reds player when Gordon was in Liverpool’s youth ranks ahead of his move to the BLues in 2012, believes the England international would jump at the chance to return to his boyhood club despite his Everton past.

“Players need to do what they need to do,” Johnson told Betfred. “It’s his job at the end of the day and if Liverpool come calling, then a player’s going to be interested.

“You’re going to be interested if Liverpool come calling for you. He’s a good player, but whether Liverpool need him is a different thing.

“When a player’s 11 years old, then people can get it wrong but if he feels as if he should have been at Liverpool, then if they’re interested in him, he now knows he’s good enough because they want him back. If their interest is real, he knows that he’s won them over.

“Ultimately though, he’s a good player and Liverpool are a huge club, so I do believe Anthony would be interested in the move.”

Meanwhile, Johnson also thinks that Liverpool should try to sign Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise this summer, but believes the Reds could be priced out of a move for West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus.

“He’s got that flair about him, he’s got something that other players don’t have,” Johnson said about Olise. “And if there’s a chance that he’s going to go to one of your rivals, then I think Liverpool should definitely be looking at him.

“Whether they need him or not is a different thing and I’m not sure what the numbers are in terms of what people are discussing, but I can't imagine it being ridiculously expensive.

“So, as long as you sign him at the right price, then he’s definitely a player you would want to sign.

“Not so much as a replacement (for Salah) because you can’t really replace Mo, but in terms of a free-flowing player that people would love to watch.

“He would be a good signing. He’s probably better than Mo at going past people because he glides past players, but whether he can score the amount of goals that Mo has is a different question.

“That’s why I think if Mo does leave and you do sign him, it’s not really a replacement; it’s a different player, but I do think the fans would love to watch him play for Liverpool.”

He continued: “(Kudus) has clearly been one of West Ham’s best players this season, but £85m seems like a lot. I don’t know if he’s the type of player that likes to be a big fish in a smaller pond but ultimately, playing for a title challenging team is a completely different ball game.

“We don’t know what he wants to do, but he definitely looks as if he’s got the credentials to fit in at Liverpool.”