Gary Neville already identified 5 things Luis Diaz has that Anthony Gordon would need

Gary Neville has already listed Luis Diaz's five best qualities for Liverpool - something Anthony Gordon would have to live up to should he replace the Colombian.

Eyebrows were raised this weekend when Newcastle United offered England international Gordon to Liverpool. PSR issues on Tyneside left Newcastle desperate to shift on players ahead of the July 1 deadline. However, Liverpool rejected Newcastle’s approach, which would have seen Jarell Quansah head in the opposite direction.

Thankfully for the Magpies, they look to have moved on Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively. But in doing so, could they have opened the door to a potential move to Merseyside for Gordon further down the line.

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The Newcastle winger is a boyhood Reds fan, despite having come through Everton’s academy. He was released at 11 by Liverpool, who reportedly retain an interest in Gordon.

Bringing in Gordon this summer to Anfield could also have given new boss Arne Slot a selection headache with who would start on the left wing for Liverpool. They already have Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz who play on the left, while Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota can also play off that flank.

Under former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, it was Diaz who predominately started off the left, which would suggest the Colombian would have the edge over Gakpo. Bringing in Gordon would see him go head-to-head with Diaz for a starting berth. And while the England international had a fine campaign last term, he might not be of the level Diaz – whom former Manchester United full-back Neville rates highly.

“Honestly, it’s utterly depressing,” Neville said back in 2022 after having watched Diaz live. “From the moment I saw him (Diaz) play in the Carabao Cup final, which was the first time I’d seen the lad live, until you see a player live and particularly when I look at him, he’s playing off the left-hand side and I look at it from a right-back’s perspective.

“So, I have a pretty good eye about what I wouldn’t have liked and what I would like – I thought ‘oh my God, what a player he is!’ His tenacity, his skill, his pace, his fight, his spirit, everything! He’s cost not a lot again. They (Liverpool) have found another one!”