Anthony Gordon told his team-mates that he was going to move to Liverpool during the summer, according to a report.
The Newcastle forward, who has been in talks over a new deal with the club, came close to joining the Reds from his current team as the Magpies scrambled to meet PSR regulations and the summer’s deadline.
He eventually stayed as Yankuba Minteh joined Brighton for £33million instead, but it seemed the move was close to happening and went as far as Gordon telling others he was moving to Anfield.
It’s thought that Gordon was massively keen on heading back to Merseyside – though to join Liverpool rather than former side Everton – given he was a fan of the Reds growing up.
According to The Telegraph, the 23-year-old was distracted by the saga while at Euro 2024 with England and let team-mates know that the move was close to completion.
Anthony Gordon reportedly told team-mates that he was close to joining Liverpool
The forward stayed at Newcastle but nearly moved to the Reds as the Magpies scrambled to meet PSR regulations
The move to Anfield would have seen him link up with new Rods boss Arne Slot
So distracted, in fact, that his time at the Euros was impacted, and he only saw a single minute of action during the competition.
It is reported that then-Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was aware of the distractions Gordon was facing and chose not to involve him more in his side because of them.
Gordon headed into the tournament following an impressive season with Newcastle, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in 35 Premier League games.
Despite having beaten off competition from the likes of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford to make it into the 26-man squad, Gordon only had a minimal role in Germany.
He managed just one appearance during England’s run to the final, coming on as an 89th minute substitute against Slovenia in the group stage.
He admitted earlier this month that he was ‘disappointed’ over his lack of playing minutes and was never given an explanation over his lack of involvement in the team by now former boss Southgate.
Speaking to ITV, Gordon said: ‘I was disappointed, because I believe in myself so much. I felt unstoppable, especially at that point of the season I had just had.
‘I felt like no-one could defend me, no-one could deal with me over 90 minutes. I felt like I was ready to and really impress people and help the country win the trophy.
‘To envision what I envisioned to what it was, it was disappointing.’
Gareth Southgate (right) reportedly noticed that the saga was a distraction for the 23-year-old
It is believed to have contributed to his lack of action during the tournament – he played just one minute
Though he could have been wearing red, Gordon still dons black and white and is close to extending his stay at Newcastle after talks over a new deal progressed in recent weeks.
Preliminary talks began in August, and the framework of the package in place, and Gordon is keen to be keen to rediscover his best form with clearance over his future.
