According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are growing increasingly confident of signing Anthony Gordon – but a deal for Hakim Ziyech is in the pipeline should Everton price us out of a move.
Luke Edwards reports that the club are hopeful of beating Chelsea to a deal for the Toffees winger ‘in the next few days’, believing the Merseyside club are willing to sell the 21-year-old this month.
He adds that Gordon himself is keen on a move to St James’ Park, however, it’s thought the two clubs remain apart on their valuations of the England U21 international. Everton have previously been quoting £60m; an asking price that must come down significantly for an agreement to be reached.
With that in mind, The Telegraph report that Newcastle are ‘keeping their options open’, showing serious interest in Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech; who could join on loan with an option to buy this summer should our pursuit of Gordon fall flat.
The Moroccan star was outstanding at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and will be allowed to leave this month, as Graham Potter must create space in his Champions League squad following Mykhailo Mudryk’s arrival.
The report adds that any move for the former Ajax star would be significantly cheaper than Gordon, with certain members of the club’s recruitment committee in favour of signing the 29-year-old on a loan-to-buy basis.
Personally, I’d prefer to have Ziyech for the remainder of the season and to reassess in the summer, but in Howe, Ashworth and Nickson we trust!
