GiveMeSport
·12 December 2023
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·12 December 2023
Newcastle United winger Antony Gordon should have sights set on a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for EURO 2024, as journalist Dean Jones considers the St. James’ Park star’s chances of a call-up to the tournament next summer.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies side have struggled for form in recent weeks, partly due to a spate of injuries and suspensions throughout the squad.
However, Newcastle remain in a promising Premier League position with Champions League and Carabao Cup hopes still alive, though form must improve sooner rather than later. Gordon has been one of the Toon’s standout players during the 2023/24 campaign after initially struggling to bed into the side following his arrival in January 2023.
Newcastle confirmed the signing of Gordon from Everton towards the deadline of the 2023 January transfer window in a deal worth £45m. The 22-year-old became the club’s then-second most expensive signing following the acquisition of Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.
Gordon had handed in a transfer request at Everton after hearing of the interest from St. James’ Park, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of those around Goodison Park, who were scrapping it out in a relegation battle. However, the England U21 struggled to break into Howe’s Magpies team, who would reach the Carabao Cup final and secure a place in the 2023/24 Champions League via a fourth-placed Premier League finish.
Gordon made 16 appearances for the Tyneside outfit, bagging just one goal in the club’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea on the final day of the 2022/23 season. However, the Liverpool-born star has made the left-wing spot his own during the 2023/24 campaign, registering nine goal contributions in 22 appearances and becoming a key player for the Magpies.
Gordon has become one of the rare players who hasn’t missed any games for Howe’s side through injury during the season. However, he was unavailable for their 2-2 draw at West Ham United in October, having received a one-match suspension after picking up five bookings. In September, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie told GIVEMESPORT that the winger’s return to training almost immediately after winning the U21 Euros with England in the summer of 2023 said a lot about his character.
Jones has suggested that Gordon is the type of player who can “make things happen” and feels he “shouldn’t even feel like a wildcard” to secure a spot in Southgate’s England squad for the Euros in June 2024. The journalist told GIVEMESPORT:
“Gordon should have his sights set on EURO 2024, and he shouldn't even feel like a wildcard. If you’re Gordon and you ended up being left out of that squad and saw Marcus Rashford getting on the plane, you'd be devastated, to be honest. You’d be wondering what more you could do because there isn't anything more Gordon could be doing right now to prove that he can be part of the squad, apart from the fact he hasn't been part of it in the past and that's what Southgate’s squads come down to. “There aren't going to be many wildcards in that squad. Fortunately, because he's a flair-type player, he can make things happen. It only takes one injury to a player like that for a door to open, and he will be high on the backup list now. From an England perspective, many fans want him to be considered for that squad and part of it.”
With the 2024 winter transfer market approaching, Newcastle are likely to be in the market for another goalkeeper, with stopper Nick Pope ruled out for four months after requiring surgery following the dislocation of his shoulder in November.
According to reports in Spain, the Magpies are joined by Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in their interest in Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgia international reportedly has a release clause worth £87m at the Mestalla, but the La Liga giants could accept an offer well below that fee.
Meanwhile, The Daily Star claims that Newcastle are considering a move for Crystal Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. The Magpies believe the Eagles stopper could be signed for less than £8m, despite only signing a new contract at Selhurst Park last month. However, Crystal Palace could be willing to cash in on the 30-year-old following Dean Henderson’s arrival on a permanent deal from Manchester United during the 2023 summer transfer window.
The MailOnline has also credited Newcastle with interest in free-agent goalkeeper David de Gea. The former Manchester United goalkeeper has been without a club since leaving Old Trafford in July but could be offered a return to Premier League action should the Magpies decide to move for the 33-year-old.