Newcastle

More assists than Gordon: Newcastle ace who was sold for £25m is now shining

Published

9 months ago

February 26, 2024

Newcastle have had a torrid campaign up to this point. From qualifying for the Champions League last season to now being ninth in the Premier League, their fall from grace has been quite severe.

Granted, the Magpies have had their fair share of injuries this season with multiple first-team players being absent on more than one occasion.

However, despite enduring the amount of injuries they have had this season, they should have had much more quality within the depth of their squad to find themselves placed higher than mid-table.

There is no doubt that their aims at the start of the Premier League season would have been at least the Europa League, however, if things carry on as they are, they may not even make Europe at all.

The signings made since Eddie Howe’s appointment have allowed the squad to make vital changes and create a bond between each team member which allows players to bond and gel together.

However, one signing which Howe made in January 2023 is still struggling to find consistency.

Anthony Gordon’s season in numbers so far

Signed for a reported fee of £45m in January 2023, many felt as if Everton had played a blinder by securing so much money for Anthony Gordon.

Prior to joining the Magpies, the winger had played a total of 18 games for Everton throughout the 2022/23 campaign and only registered a total of three goals.

Which, when compared to the season prior, is far from the quality he showed. Throughout 2021/22, Gordon appeared a total of 40 times for the Toffees and amassed seven goal contributions.

Although these stats are also not the strongest, they are much better than what he managed to produce in the 2022/23 campaign.

These numbers in themselves were enough to raise alarms among Premier League fans, with most claiming that Newcastle had been robbed by Everton.

In the second half of 2022/23, when he represented Newcastle, his lack of form continued. Despite playing 16 times in the Premier League, he only managed to score one goal.

This poor second half of the season further showcased why many thought that Everton had made the best decision by selling their academy graduate.

However, in the 2023/24 season so far, he has found himself in a decent run of form. He has played 36 games and has scored a total of eight goals.

Although this is the most prolific of the 23-year-old’s career, the number of assists he has made (7) still happen to be shy of a Newcastle player who was sold for £25m in the summer transfer window.

Allan Saint-Maximin’s season in numbers so far

After departing Tyneside for pastures new a few months ago, Allan Saint-Maximin is currently shining at his new club.

He joined Al-Ahli among many other stars in Saudi Arabia and has since become a pivotal part of the team. So much so that the France international has even managed to garner more assists (9) whilst with the Saudi Pro League side.

Saint-Maximin made himself into something of a ‘cult hero’ after joining Newcastle for a fee in the region of £16m. Although during his time in Tyneside, he wasn’t the most consistent of players, as shown by his 34 goal contributions in 124 games, there was the odd moment of brilliance which the winger had in his locker.

Upon leaving the Magpies, he wrote a heartfelt message to fans which stated: “I fell for Newcastle, I had great opportunities to leave during dark days, but that was too late I was already in love, I wanted, I needed, I had to stay for helping my team to save the club from Premier League relegation because it meant the world for me.”

“Of course during those dark days some may have had their doubts, but I always believed in this club and look where we are today, it’s just so beautiful. I’m leaving Newcastle as it should always have been and that’s my greatest trophy because I was a part of it.”

Despite joining the club being relatively unknown, the passion and desire when he wore the black and white of Newcastle was unmatched.

So, it is nice to see that he is once again finding his feet in a new league, and, who knows, we could be seeing him returning to Europe in the near future.