'A load of rubbish!' - Anthony Gordon hits back at Arsenal and Liverpool transfer links after hitting Newcastle form

It is not the first time that Gordon has found himself at the centre of speculation. He saw a return to his Merseyside roots discussed just 18 months after completing a £40 million ($54m) switch to St James’ Park in January 2023.

Everton academy graduate Gordon grew up as a Liverpool supporter and has never shied away from the fact that he would like to don a famous red jersey, having been released by Anfield-based heavyweights at the age of 11.

He has previously conceded that a failed move to Merseyside in 2024 - a summer that included his first major tournament as a senior international - messed with his head and left him seeking a break from the stresses of professional football.

Gordon told the Daily Mail: “It was difficult for me because one, I had the Euros, which was horrendous for me mentally. I was there but I wasn’t playing. Then I had the transfer stuff. With PSR [profit and sustainability rules], I thought I was going to leave at some point in the window. It didn’t happen. I had to get my head around that [idea of joining Liverpool] to begin with, and then to get my head around it again [when it didn’t happen] was hard. I’m a human being. It’s really difficult.”

Gordon is attracting admiring glances again, with Premier League leaders Arsenal said to form part of an ever-growing list of suitors. They will have been impressed by the jet-heeled winger’s four-goal salvo against Qarabag.

A man hoping to make another England squad this summer for the 2026 World Cup is, however, turning a deaf ear and blind eye to any reports of a big-money transfer being lined up.

He said when asked about his future: “It’s the same old, same old. I haven’t heard anything, they might want to tell me before they tell you (the media). I have gone through enough transfer stuff now to know that it is all a load of rubbish.

“I am focused on me and focused on the team, I am focused on right now. You look too far in the future and you start to underperform. And believe me I have done that (before) and I am not going to do that now.”

Gordon is fully focused on his performances for Newcastle, as he faces fierce competition for places in Eddie Howe’s side. A stunning outing against Qarabag saw him reach 10 goals for the season in European competition, and 14 in total.

He believes he could have left Azerbaijan with two match balls, having squandered a couple of opportunities, and makes no apologies for taking two penalties against Qarabag - having briefly argued with Kieran Trippier when refusing to give up the second of his spot-kicks, when he had already completed his hat-trick.

Gordon added on his goal-getting exploits: “I should have scored more – I should have had six goals. I missed two chances that I should score. I don’t want to call them easy but they were chances that I should score. I am always looking for more. I scored four but I am that type of person, I am not fully happy with what I have achieved, it should have been six, maybe next time.”

Newcastle are all but guaranteed a place in the last-16 of Champions League action, ahead of a return date with Qarabag on Tyneside next week, and are also into the FA Cup fifth round - where they will face Manchester City.

A top seven finish in the Premier League is also there to be shot at, which would confirm European qualification for next season, and the Magpies will be back on a domestic stage when taking in a trip to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday - where they will once again face title-chasing City.

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