Barcelona transfer move after Anthony Gordon saga gives Liverpool easy answer

Liverpool has been heavily linked with a move for Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon in recent days. If reports are to be believed, a deal was in the offing between the two clubs, only for it to collapse as Newcastle wanted Reds defender Jarell Quansah involved in the deal.

This was rejected out-of-hand by Liverpool , and so the deal failed to materialize. While a deal could still happen further down the line, for now the idea seems to have been put on the back burner.

Liverpool moving for Gordon made little sense, due to the fact that the club already has a left-winger in Luis Díaz , while Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo can also operate on the left. The need for another left-sided player seemed like a head-scratcher.

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However, a move for Gordon might have been a clue that Díaz, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent months, was leaving. Yet a potential new deal from Barcelona could mean the end of its pursuit of the Colombian, and in turn mean Liverpool don't have to make a second approach for Gordon.

According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg , the Catalan side has made a move for Hull City winger Jaden Philogene. The 22-year-old starred for Hull in The Championship last season, netting 12 goals and providing six assists in 32 games. Philogene, born in the Hammersmith region of London, is the subject of a loan offer from Barcelona with an obligation to buy in the summer of 2025, explains Plettenberg on his X account.;

Should Philogene meet certain conditions during his loan spell at Barcelona, then the club will have to sign him for a figure in the region of $21m (£16m/€20m) in a year's time. Should the deal become official, this would likely mean the end of any designs of trying to sign Díaz, with the Colombian out of the financially struggling Spanish side's transfer budget.

With Díaz staying in Merseyside, there would be no need for Gordon to be signed. Therefore the collapse of that deal, and news that Barcelona have steered away from Díaz, is good news for Liverpool fans.

Díaz had his most productive season since joining the club from FC Porto last season, in which he scored 13 goals in all competitions, with eight coming in the Premier League . Gordon, meanwhile, scored 11 league goals and provided 10 assists for Newcastle.

Liverpool.com says: All of this is good news for Liverpool fans. Díaz is a firm fan favorite, and new coach Arne Slot will rely on him next season. Moreover, the club now can direct resources to other areas of the pitch that need addressing in the summer transfer window.