Arsenal transfer move for Anthony Gordon questioned with three alternatives preferred

Anthony Gordon has been linked with a summer move to Arsenal and despite impressing there remain question marks over a move

Arsenal must upgrade their forward line this summer after a £100million-plus investment in Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke has failed to improve the Gunners’ output at the top end of the pitch. Granted, injuries to key players like Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze have not helped, but the summer strategy was meant to enable a stronger response when absences emerged.

Due to this recent failed effort, a left winger and a centre-forward remain high on the agenda. Julian Alvarez is the main candidate for the striker role, with a broad desire across the Arsenal fan base to see a move made for the Argentine.

However, the same cannot be said for another leading name linked with a move for the other role, Anthony Gordon. The Newcastle United wide player has been heavily linked with a move to the club and football.london understands the interest is genuine, but that there are several players being considered for the position, and no decision has yet been taken on which player will be the primary target.

So, therefore, why is there this immediate and in some cases visceral response to links to Gordon? We saw in the summer that the signing of Noni Madueke sparked disgusting backlash from some 'fans' of Arsenal, some startlingly and worryingly taking to the streets or starting petitions to showcase their disdain for the move.

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At the basic level of goals in the Premier League since his first full season with Newcastle in 2023/24, Gordon has scored 23 goals. Leandro Trossard (25), Eberechi Eze (25), and Bukayo Saka (28) have more, with both Noni Madueke (14) and Gabriel Martinelli (15) with significantly less.

He has more assists, 17, than all the above bar Saka, who has 22. This therefore sees only Saka again have more goals and assists combined compared to Gordon from the group of six players.

This, of course, comes with the context that Gordon is playing for, with respect, a less successful, less offensive and less creative Newcastle United team surrounded by arguably less talented players. Therefore, it is perhaps better to look deeper into some of the individual stats, far less affected by the external factors of the club they play for.

In terms of goalscoring, shot conversion is a good metric because it could be argued Gordon might get both more chances at Arsenal and, you’d hope, better quality chances too. Gordon’s shot conversion rate (12.2), according to Opta, is better than four of the five Arsenal players we’re scrutinising for the same period, besides Trossard (14.2). Better than Saka (11.8), Martinelli (10.8), Madueke (10.6), and Eze (10.6).

In terms of creativity, Gordon has created 27 big chances, with Saka’s 45 far and away the most impressive. But each of the other Arsenal forwards have created fewer than the Newcastle man.

Defensively, because we know Mikel Arteta and many managers want their wide players to contribute off the ball too, Gordon again stacks up pretty well. Tackles per 90, interceptions per 90, and duels won per 90 are all in a similar band as the forwards here, and he’s in the median of them.

He also wins more fouls than most of the players here per game (2.2); only Saka (2.2) can match that. And we know how valuable set pieces can be for this Arsenal side.

He’s missed some games through injury for Newcastle, but has never suffered a problem keeping him out of four straight games for club and country so far.

To bring this to a conclusion of sorts, I think Gordon would improve Arsenal’s left-hand side. There’s clearly a reason why Bayern Munich, of all clubs, see him as someone who can succeed Luis Diaz of all people, and unsurprisingly, Liverpool were a side previously linked to Gordon when it looked like Diaz could leave them initially.

He’s better than Trossard and he’s better than Martinelli. But, and perhaps it is from hearing so much doubt around, I too have concerns that the reported £75million it would take to sign him could end up being something regrettable.

I guess it comes from a desire to see a Bukayo Saka-level player on the left flank, and I just don’t see Gordon as that. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Luis Diaz, Vinicius Jr, and Raphinha are top-level players that other elite sides possess.

I truly think Arsenal need to sign a player that helps us get into that level and it might be they are not available and in which case we need to find a player who could become that. Hence why I’d look at a Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig, Kenan Yildiz of Juventus or maybe the lesser-known Said El Mala of Koln.

In the meantime, Eberechi Eze would be my pick to invest more time into the left, and even adding one of those young starlets to battle for minutes there and see Eze push into a central role when Arsenal try that. That is what I would prefer.