Newcastle United supporters are frustrated at the moment, and justifiably so.
Only last weekend, Eddie Howe’s side put in a herculean performance, a display of great resilience and strength, to see off Manchester City in the Premier League.
But that was at St. James’ Park, and the Magpies’ issues on the road deepened against Marseille in the Champions League, going ahead through the in-form Harvey Barnes but succumbing to defeat after two second-half strikes from Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
11
Games
8
8
Wins
1
0
Draws
3
3
Losses
4
16
Goals scored
8
8
Goals conceded
10
2.18
PPG
0.75
As Barnes goes from strength to strength, with three goals from his past two Premier League matches too, Anthony Gordon’s struggles on Tyneside have been accentuated.
The England international is among the most talented players in Howe’s squad, but he’s not been at the races this season.
Anthony Gordon's form for Newcastle
Gordon took some time to get going at Newcastle after joining from Everton for £45m in January 2023, but he thrived across the 2023/24 campaign, winning the club’s Player of the Year after recording 11 goals and ten assists in the Premier League.
Last season was a testing one for the 24-year-old on an individual level, though, and he’s sunk deeper into his struggles this season, yet to score or assist in the Premier League.
Though Gordon is impressing in front of goal on the continent, he’s been out of sorts as a whole this season, with Newcastle blogger Thomas Hammond saying “a summer sale is looking more and more favourable” given clubs like Liverpool have been interested in the £100m-rated winger in the past.
Matches (starts)
7 (7)
5 (5)
Goals
0
4
Assists
0
1
Touches*
35.4
39.2
Shots (on target)*
2.0 (0.7)
2.2 (1.0)
Accurate passes*
14.7 (80%)
16.4 (77%)
Chances created*
1.0
0.4
Dribbles*
1.4
1.4
Ball recoveries*
2.6
3.2
Tackles + interceptions*
0.7
1.4
Duels (won)*
4.7 (49%)
4.0 (41%)
There’s a tenacity and will to win embedded in Gordon’s footballing brain, but this has led to some questionable decision-making, with the £150k-per-week talent sent off three times across 120 appearances as a Magpie.
And with Barnes getting better and better, it could be that PIF look to cash in on their profitable asset going forward. After all, if he continues to struggle, his market value will only depreciate.
Against Marseille, Howe opted to field Gordon as his central striker. This is nothing new, but the versatile forward toiled away. Considering the different variables, there might be cause for Gordon to be sold, especially when considering another Newcastle star’s form this season.
The Newcastle star who could end Gordon's stay
Since arriving on Tyneside at the end of August, Nick Woltemade has been a revelation for Newcastle.
The 23-year-old completed a club-record move from Stuttgart to St. James’ Park after establishing himself as one of German football’s most exciting up-and-coming strikers, and while Howe’s side have problems, six goals from his first 16 games for the club suggest the jackpot has been struck.
The 6 foot 6 star is far more than just a goalscorer, of course, and his ability to drop deep and influence across different areas of the pitch suggests that Woltemade could play alongside Yoane Wissa when the DR Congo star returns to fitness.
And he’s thriving for Germany too. Woltemade is nailing down his claim for the number nine spot ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, having posted four goals from his past three matches for his nation.
Hailed as a “world-class talent” by content creator Adam Pearson, Woltemade cannot be expected to haul all this weight by himself each week. He needs players like Gordon to step up.
But with Barnes establishing himself as United’s clear-cut left winger and Wissa soon to enter the equation as he nears the end of the recovery from a knee injury that has kept him out since signing for the club from Brentford last year, there’s a sense that Gordon may find regular minutes from the outset hard to come by down the line.
Woltemade is not a winger, of course, but he does bring many dynamic qualities to the table that emphasise his protean attacking ability. As per data-led site FBref, the German ranks among the top 9% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90.
His knack at finding space to shoot and then doing so clinically is the staple of his skillset, but Woltemade is also a menace in that he has different creative and athletic attributes that help him transcend his striking role.
Could we see a scenario in which Woltemade plays alongside Wissa, flanked by Barnes and Anthony Elanga? It might be the case, and with Newcastle eager to strengthen across the park next summer – notably with a deal for academy product Elliot Anderson in the pipeline – there’s a case to be made that Gordon’s days on Tyneside could be numbered.
He has, of course, proven himself at Newcastle before, but time is running out for Gordon to reestablish himself as one of Howe’s talismanic forwards, and while Barnes appears the most direct threat to his place in the starting line-up, Woltemade’s continual growth adds another chapter to the story.
PIF have signed an "explosive" talent who can end Gordon's Newcastle career
Newcastle United already have an exciting attacker up their sleeve who can end Anthony Gordon’s stalling Magpies career.
ByKelan Sarson