The England winger is a player of real star potential but, as this season has proved, Arne Slot has better options available to him at Anfield
The collapse of a proposed transfer is often a source of regret. Just look at Arsene Wenger and the amount of future superstars he says he tried – and failed – to sign. However, sometimes missing out on a player can prove a blessing in disguise – and Liverpool know this better than most.
Brendan Rodgers, for example, was willing to get rid of Jordan Henderson in order to bring in Clint Dempsey in 2012. It's also believed that Jurgen Klopp favoured buying Julian Brandt over Mohamed Salah in 2017, only to be overruled by the Reds' recruitment team, who had wanted the Egyptian before he'd even joined Chelsea. With those lucky escapes in mind, one cannot help but wonder if Liverpool have just dodged another bullet – and, again, more by accident than by design.
As the Premier League leaders prepare to face Newcastle at St. James' Park on Wednesday, it's well worth remembering that the Reds were willing to pay the Magpies £75 million ($95m) for Anthony Gordon during the summer and send Joe Gomez in the opposite direction for £45m ($57m) – which, as the last few months have hammered home, would have been a colossal waste of cash…
Getty Images Sport'Nightmare for anyone I play against'
Gordon is undoubtedly a talented player. He proved that last season, earning himself a place in Gareth Southgate's stellar England squad for Euro 2024 ahead of the likes of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford by hitting double figures for both goals (11) and assists (10) in the Premier League for the first time in his career.
Consequently, he arrived in Germany brimming with belief. "I’m an absolute nightmare for anyone I play against," he declared. "I'm always trying to put people on the back foot and I think [my direct style] brings a sense of unpredictability. I know how hard I am to play against, I can feel it, I know they don't like playing against me and I’m going to carry on doing it."
However, despite calls from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Michah Richards for Gordon to be brought into the starting line-up at the Euros, he saw just one minute of game time, with Southgate reportedly feeling that the winger had been distracted by Liverpool's interest in signing him.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTwin-blow
Gordon may have come through Everton's youth sector, but he was a childhood Liverpool fan who idolised Kop idol Steven Gerrard growing up. Consequently, the prospect of moving to Anfield unquestionably excited Gordon, and it was claimed that he'd even lined up a medical for himself while still at the Euros.
However, while talks over a player-plus-cash deal were so advanced that the terms of payment were even discussed, Newcastle pulled out of the trade after managing to resolving the Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR) problems that had brought them to the negotiating table in the first place by selling youngsters Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, respectively.
Gordon has arguably yet to recover from the twin-blow of being effectively snubbed by Southgate in Germany while at the same time seeing his dream return to Merseyside fail to materialise. Despite being given a lucrative new contract in October, Gordon has cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the season so far, and been directly involved in just three goals in 15 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle.
By complete contrast, Liverpool's wingers are flying right now.
GettyDiaz adds goals to his game
Liverpool's interest in Gordon puzzled many pundits, given they already had, in Luis Diaz, a far superior player in the England international's player preferred position. The presumption was that the Reds were considering cashing in on the Colombian, who had long been linked to a move to Spain – sometimes even by his father.
It's not clear if Newcastle's U-turn on selling Gordon directly affected Diaz's situation at Anfield, but what we do know is that the former Porto winger is now playing better than ever before.
The 27-year-old had been excellent since signing for Liverpool in January 2022, an incredibly positive attacking force who had quickly established himself as the most dangerous dribbler at the club. The one source of frustration was his finishing, which was often erratic.
This season, though, Diaz has added goals to his game (he's already got nine in 19 appearances, meaning he's well on course to surpass last year's tally of 13), which is why we're now seeing him sometimes deployed as a false nine – and there are two reasons for that development.
Firstly, Darwin Nunez is still struggling to score and Diogo Jota is struggling to stay fit, meaning Liverpool are lacking a more orthodox striker to lead the line. Secondly, and far more significantly, playing the increasingly effective Diaz through the middle creates space for Cody Gakpo out wide.
Getty Images SportGakpo finally finds the right role
It's been obvious since Gakpo's arrival on Merseyside that he was a multi-talented forward capable of not only scoring goals but creating them for others. At times, he really did look like Roberto Firmino's heir; the profile may have been different, but the potential was definitely there to tie the attack together in a similar fashion.
However, it started to become clear during the tail end of last season that Gakpo's best position was out wide – and putting him there regularly has paid off spectacularly for Arne Slot. Gakpo is a confident, constant threat on the left flank. He stands up tall, he takes on full-backs and, most importantly of all, he's got an end product.
Going into Wednesday's game at Newcastle, Gakpo, arguably the biggest beneficiary of the breakdown of the Gordon deal, has scored eight goals this season, with his latest strike coming in Sunday's crucial 2-0 win over Manchester City.
