Anthony Gordon justifying Liverpool transfer interest after outperforming Luis Diaz

Newcastle United and Anthony Gordon are on the brink of finalizing a contract extension that will make the England winger one of the top earners at the club.

Gordon once again demonstrated his worth to the Magpies with a stellar performance in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Manchester City, earning and converting a penalty to secure a crucial point for Eddie Howe's side.

It's hardly surprising that Newcastle are eager to secure his services with a new contract, particularly in light of last summer's transfer rumors. Arne Slot's Liverpool were reportedly interested in bringing Gordon back to Merseyside , with the two clubs seemingly close to an agreement due to PSR pressures on the Magpies, before United managed to pull out after selling Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh.

Gordon was arguably Newcastle's standout player last season, and is central to the ambitious plans for the future at St James' Park. When you compare his contribution to others in his position around the Premier League, it's easy to see why.

Since the start of last season, the stats reveal that Gordon has the second highest number of goals and assists among the Premier League's top left wingers. Trailing only Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Gordon has racked up 23 goals and assists from 41 league matches.

That places him above Liverpool star Luis Diaz, England aces Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford, plus Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli in terms of impact. Despite his hefty price tag, Grealish trails behind the rest - a situation that's surely a letdown for him after his big-money move from Villa to Manchester City in 2021.

While Diaz equals Gordon in goal-scoring, he lacks when it comes to assists, four less to be precise. Rashford and Martinelli lag with 11 and 13 goal contributions respectively, which are both notably fewer than Gordon's tally.

The Magpies' ace also brings a level of adaptability others might not possess proven when he took on a central role against Pep Guardiola's squad.

Magpies manager Eddie Howe has no doubts about Gordon's value, emphatically stating last week: "We love Anthony and we would love him to commit his future here. We would love him to stay long-term at Newcastle and continue the excellent start to his career.

"When you look at the broader piece of what he has done he has been magnificent for us. We need to try to help him get back to his very best levels. And if that means him signing a new contract to help him resettle and concentrate on his football than so be it."