Anthony Gordon’s Newcastle United career has surely come to an end after Eddie Howe’s revelation.
Shortly after Newcastle United’s draw with Nottingham Forest, Howe revealed that Gordon’s omission despite being on the bench was at least in part because he was “looking at the future.”
As such, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which the winger plays for the club again. Howe has effectively said he wants to focus on players who will be here next season, and Gordon is reportedly open to joining Bayern Munich.
If that is indeed the case, an underwhelming time of things on Tyneside looks to be coming to an end for Gordon.
Gordon has struggled to live up to his own high standards at Newcastle
It might sound like a harsh reading on a player who has scored 17 goals this season, but it’s difficult to confidently declare that Gordon has lived up to his own high standards at Newcastle.
Indeed, Gordon’s Premier League output has declined since his first full season at Newcastle, during which he looked like a genuine force.
Clearly, he’s not been a bad signing by any means, and the idea of getting close to double what Newcastle paid for him after just over three years of service is welcome.
Still, and while there are other factors in play here, the player Newcastle fans saw during the 2023/24 campaign has only been visible in fits and spurts since.
The 25-year-old went a year without scoring from open play in the Premier League. That wasn’t good enough for a player of his stature, no matter how much one tries to dress it up.
Goals against the big six are all well and good but – for whatever reason – Gordon has rarely ever found the consistency that makes good players into great ones.
Gordon has declined but still deserves respect
The fact he’s often been played out of position all while dealing with injuries, transfer speculation and a team declining in general does need to be taken into account, of course.
Just because a player may leave does not mean they should be criticised unfairly, but can anyone seriously say he’s kicked on since that excellent first season?
Gordon has delivered some big moments for Newcastle and he deserves respect for that. There is no suggestion that he actively doesn’t want to play for the club again.
Yet, if this really is the end, then it’s hard not to feel like it never really sparked for him on Tyneside after his initial breakthrough.