How Newcastle could sign their new Anthony Gordon for £40m
Newcastle United have made steady progress in the summer transfer window, and even though Eddie Howe‘s superstars are dropping like flies, the Magpies are well-stocked for the future.
But after a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, there’s little question that Howe must oversee a sharp upswing, with Newcastle slumping to a 12th-place Premier League finish.
Bruno Guimaraes‘ future is the current flashpoint on Tyneside, with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali already sold for a combined £169m fee.
Newcastle have asserted that both previous sales were acceptable, if regrettable, but it may well be that effectively replacing Gordon is the most important task of the summer.
Why Newcastle cannot fumble Gordon replacement
Last summer, Newcastle were forced into selling the rebellious Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a record-breaking £125m fee. Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa were drafted in as his joint-replacement, but they both flattered to deceive.
Gordon stepped up, playing a numer of games at centre-forward throughout the term. He might have only scored six times in the Premier League (for a second successive year), but the Three Lions winger stepped up and settled into his focal role at Newcastle, front-footed across a year in which his side were embattled and retreating.
To have lost Isak and Gordon across successive summers is a concern, but to fail to replace them would be detrimental to the Howe project.
Gordon ebbed and flowed throughout his time at St. James’ Park, but no one could deny that he has established himself as a big-game player, with his Champions League haul last year a testament to that.
| Champions League Top Scorers (25/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Apps | Goals |
| Kylian Mbappe | 11 | 15 |
| Harry Kane | 13 | 14 |
| Anthony Gordon | 12 | 10 |
| Julian Alvarez | 15 | 10 |
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 16 | 10 |
Bazoumana Toure has been signed from Hoffenheim for £43m. The jet-heeled winger has a lot of potential, but he’s still learning the ropes, is 20 years old, is stepping into the Premier League for the first time.Newcastle need another attacker to play a central role next term, and Howe might have found one.
Newcastle in talks to sign their new Gordon
At centre-forward, it looks like Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa are going to stay and fight for their places after tough first years at Newcastle. But Woltemade was utilised across a range of positions last year, and Howe is keen on adding another number nine.
Well, according to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are currently in talks with the representatives of Chelsea striker Liam Delap, who is expected to leave Stamford Bridge before the closure of the summer transfer window.
Delap joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town for £30m last year, and it hasn’t worked out. Xabi Alonso wants to ship him on, and the Magpies aren’t alone in registering their interest, with Everton actually considered frontrunners at this stage.
There is work to do, but it does feel like the 23-year-old will get his wish and wipe the slate clean, though Chelsea expect a £40m transfer fee.
Delap only scored one Premier League goal for struggling Chelsea last season, but he still scored 12 goals across 37 matches for the Tractor Boys in 2024/25, with Sky Sports reporter Lewis Jones hailing him as a “wrecking ball” of a number nine back then.
He could become Howe’s new Gordon, having seen his stock rise during his early Premier League days without actually establishing an elite level. Delap’s strength and link-up play make him a curious and unique forward, and given that he came from Manchester City’s academy, while Gordon came from Liverpool, they were both highly-rated during their formative years.
When Gordon left Everton and joined Newcastle for £45m in January 2023, he had only scored seven times across 78 senior outings for the Toffees, but Howe saw his potential, rubber-stamped upon that £69m move to Barcelona, after a high-profile Toon career that saw him lift the Carabao Cup.
Despite his issues at Stamford Bridge, when you look at his bigger Premier League picture, you see that he has only missed 14 big chances across two years in the division, scoring 13 goals.
That’s a strong and confident hit rate, and if Howe can rekindle his confidence, the Toon could have a prolific striker at their disposal, someone who could echo and even transcend that impact that Gordon had in the Premier League last year.
Delap is at a bit of a low ebb, but he is still one of the most exciting attacking prospects in England, and he proved at Portman Road that he has the physical striker’s profile to succeed at a club like Newcastle, providing an outlet and perhaps stepping up in Gordon’s absence as Howe’s new talisman.
