“I couldn’t really see him heading to Arsenal anyway" - Journalist claims £50m-rated star is more likely to join Gunners than Anthony Gordon

Journalist Charlie Watts has said that Newcastle United attacker Anthony Gordon is less likely to arrive at Arsenal than Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams. The Gunners are looking to bolster their ranks up front ahead of the new season.

Mikel Arteta's side were plagued by injuries to key attackers like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz as they ended the 2024-25 campaign without any major silverware.

One of the key areas they are looking to reinforce is up front, with Gordon and Williams being earmarked as targets. However, Watts, in his column for Caught Offside (via Tribal Football), said about Gordon's potential arrival in north London:

“The prospect of Gordon or any of their (Newcastle's) star players leaving now looks to be very slim.”

“I couldn’t really see him heading to Arsenal anyway. Nico Williams has always been the club’s priority target when it comes to the left side of the attack, and if they do make a move to strengthen in that area, then I still expect the Athletic Bilbao winger to be the man they go after.”

Gordon, 24, had a fine season with Newcastle, contributing nine goals and seven assists in 42 games across competitions for a Magpies side that finished fifth to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Meanwhile, Williams, 22, also had a successful season with Bilbao, registering 11 goals and seven assists in 45 games across competitions. The Euro 2024 winner is valued at £50 million by the La Liga side.

Arsenal season recap

Arsenal have had another decent season, but as mentioned above - they fell short of silverware once again. Nevertheless, the Gunners registered a third-straight second-placed finish to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Mikel Arteta's side impressed in Europe, reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009 after a stunning upset of holders Real Madrid. Following a rousing 3-0 first-leg home win, the Gunners won 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the return to advance.

However, their hopes of reaching their first Champions League final in nearly two decades was dashed by Paris Saint-Germain, who won 3-1 on aggregate. The quadruple-chasing Parisians take on Inter Milan in the Munich final on May 31.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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