Anthony Gordon (£5.2m) completed his transfer to Newcastle United over the weekend, a move that has polarised opinion on Tyneside.
The fee is the main talking point: the 21-year-old winger has signed for a reported initial £40m, rising to £45m with possible add-ons.
He’s altogether a cheaper prospect in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), however, so can his capture by the Magpies reinvigorate a player who was very much in the budget midfielder conversation in 2021/22?
We take a look in this Moving Target piece, where we have included data and images taken from our Premium Members Area.
GORDON’S FPL HISTORY
| Season | Team | Starts (sub appearances) | Goals | Assists | Bonus | FPL points |
| 2022/23 | Everton | 12 (4) | 3 | 0 | 2 | 43 |
| 2021/22 | Everton | 25 (10) | 4 | 3 | 9 | 100 |
| 2020/21 | Everton | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019/20 | Everton | 4 (7) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
Gordon worked his way through the Everton academy system before making his debut at the age of 16 in a Europa League match in December 2017.
But it wasn’t until 2019/20 that he made his Premier League bow, making 14 appearances – nine as a substitute – across two seasons. A goalless, 11-match loan spell at Preston North End also featured in 2020/21.
His breakout campaign came in 2021/22, when he appeared in all but three of the Toffees’ Premier League matches and became an integral part of the side that staved off the threat of relegation under Frank Lampard. A modest four goals and three assists arrived from his 35 run-outs, of which 25 came in the starting XI.
His star was arguably never higher than last summer, when he turned in some excellent performances for England under-21s. Gordon’s impact was such that there was talk of a huge offer from Chelsea but the move never materialised and the young midfielder’s form has really taken a tumble since, with Lampard leaving him out of six of his final seven Premier League starting XIs.
How much of that owed to poor on-field performances and how much of it was down to his head being turned by other clubs, of course, is another question.
IN QUOTES
“He’ll give us a lot. He’s a young player with huge potential to have a big impact on our season. Very quick, dynamic player. He’s versatile and can play on both sides. The best is yet to come from him. He can add something difference for us.
“I believe he will fit our style of play. He is an incredible athlete and has the ability to run box to box at very high speed. I think he has the athletic durability that we want in our wide players. He has the passion that the fans will feed off but Anthony will have to earn that support.” – Eddie Howe
“I feel like it’s a really big step. People haven’t seen what I’m capable of yet. I think under the gaffer, and the way the club’s going, I can really excel here.” – Anthony Gordon
WHERE HE FITS IN AT NEWCASTLE
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