Anthony Gordon has lost his mojo – his place in Newcastle team is under threat

A rumoured move to Liverpool and stagnation in talks over a new contract have dogged Gordon at the start of this season

It is a question that has gained prominence with every passing game – what is wrong with Anthony Gordon? What has happened to Newcastle United’s player of last season and why does he no longer look the same force he was?
What could be conveniently dismissed as a player struggling to get up to speed after a delayed pre-season programme is turning into something more worrying. Something is not right and is starting to have a detrimental effect on the team.
Gordon’s body language, during arguably his worst performance in a Newcastle shirt against Fulham, was troubling. The shoulders were slumped, arms were thrown in the air when teammates made mistakes and on more than one occasion, having given the ball away himself, he made no effort to win it back.
Although we are still in the early stages of the campaign, the data shows that Gordon is not having the same impact and has been largely blunted as an offensive weapon.
He looks like a player who is unhappy with his own form, but is there something else going on in the background that supporters should be worried about?
Gordon thought he could be leaving Newcastle for Liverpool in the summer and has the collapse of that move to join the club he supported as a boy had a detrimental effect on his position at St James’ Park?
Telegraph Sport looks at the problems behind the scenes at St James’ Park and whether Gordon can be brought back to become the brilliant, all-action player he was last term.
There is no point pretending otherwise. Gordon was keen on a move to his boyhood club in the summer and even told teammates, while on international duty with England, that the move was going to happen.
Former England manager Gareth Southgate was well aware the player was distracted by the talk and Telegraph Sport understands this was one of the reasons he was not involved more at the Euros. Gordon played a handful of minutes in the group stage as a substitute and did not appear again.
Newcastle were in a flap. They were in danger of breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and were being forced to consider selling Gordon against their will.
Liverpool, though, did not follow up on their initial interest and no bid was made. Newcastle solved their PSR concerns by selling Yankuba Minteh to Brighton and Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest instead.
Gordon was swiftly informed by Newcastle that he was not for sale, at any price, and that he must bury any disappointment he felt at not getting his move to Anfield.
That was always going to be easier said than done. Sources have indicated the player remained unsettled throughout the summer, although his behaviour has not caused friction. He has not demanded a move and has worked hard in training.
There has been no repeat of his antics at Everton where he effectively forced his way out of the club and even went on strike after Newcastle’s opening offer for him, in January 2022, was rejected.
But the saga has disrupted Gordon’s focus and there may well be a lingering sense of what might have been carried into September.
There is also a wider sense of frustration within the Newcastle dressing room. Gordon is not the only star player who was disgruntled by the club’s failure to land a marquee signing to improve the team in the summer window.
When Newcastle informed Gordon that he would not be sold back in June, they said they would reward his excellent form last season with a lucrative long-term deal. Sources close to the player, though, have told Telegraph Sport that the progress has been slow. As things stand, Gordon does not feel his true value is being reflected in the terms on offer.
Talks are ongoing and both sides would like them to reach a successful conclusion, but it is another distraction that is likely to be playing on his mind.
Players need to feel valued and appreciated and having been told he would be given a new long-term deal, befitting his status as one of Eddie Howe’s blue-chip brigade, the failure to get this done swiftly is another issue to contend with.
Newcastle, though, have a strict wage structure to adhere to and Gordon’s demands must fit into that. The same is true of Alexander Isak, who is also understood to be seeking an improved contract.
To be fair to Gordon, he is not the first or the last player to suffer a drop in form while contract talks have dragged on. Bruno Guimaraes was also not at his best at the start of last season as he negotiated a new deal.
It is in the interests of both player and club to come to an agreement as swiftly as possible. Gordon deserves an improved contract, given how important he has become and Newcastle need to protect themselves in terms of ensuring the future transfer market value of the player.
Like all of us, Gordon has far more going on in his life than his work. Although settled in the North East, the player’s family remain in the North West and he has been seen socialising in the Manchester suburb of Hale where he used to live.
The prospect of a move to Liverpool probably raised emotions he was not even aware of before the talk of it ignited back in June.
The problem is, although the carrot was dangled, Liverpool’s failure to follow up on their initial interest may have bruised his ego. Why weren’t they willing to pay the money? Did they think he was not good enough after all?
Confidence is a fragile thing in football and having kicked his heels with England all summer, when he expected to play a far bigger role, doubts are bound to creep in. It is the perils of being a professional athlete, success is as much a mental battle as it is reliant on ability.
When that is combined with a slow start to the season at Newcastle, Gordon appears to be struggling. He may well project an air of confidence and unwavering self-belief, but sources argue he is a more fragile character than people think.
Everything went right for him last season. Everything came easily to him on the pitch. That is no longer the case. Teams are taking special measures to nullify his threat and once things start going wrong, you can get into a downward spiral. Gordon’s behaviour against Fulham was probably more to do with the fact he was annoyed at himself than anything else.
When Harvey Barnes spoke to the media from the team’s summer training camp in Germany he said Gordon’s excellent form last season – after a difficult first few months on Tyneside –  was an inspiration to him.
Barnes had struggled with injuries following his £45 million move from Leicester City in 2023, but he has been far more effective than Gordon so far this season with three goals, five chances created and a goal assist in his six appearances – three of which have come as a substitute.
The problem for Gordon, who has one goal and zero assists, is that Barnes is at his best when he starts on the left wing, which is also his preferred position.
Against Fulham, Gordon started on the left with Barnes on the right, but when they swapped flanks, it was noticeable that Gordon did not look happy.
Howe has a decision to make against Manchester City and for the first time since his early struggles at Newcastle, Gordon is in danger of losing his place in the starting XI.
Howe remains a huge fan of Gordon and has protected him throughout the summer, insisting the player remains fully committed to Newcastle. He will continue to handle him gently, but needs the winger to rediscover his mojo. He needs the 23-year-old to shrug off whatever has been going on in the background, ref-ocus and get back to doing the things that made him such a threat last season.