Of course, nothing is decided yet, and with six games still to play, Eddie Howe will be looking for his side to earn as many of the 18 points available as possible.
European football could be beyond Newcastle
At present, the North East giants find themselves five points away from Brentford in seventh, the qualification position for the Conference League; six points from Chelsea in sixth, the qualification position for the Europa League; and 10 points from Liverpool in fifth, the final qualification place for the Champions League.
Finishing the season strongly is a prerequisite in order to give themselves every chance for another continental sojourn, because if the task is beyond them, it could cause untold problems.
One of which could be the sale of their Champions League top scorer, Anthony Gordon.
The former Everton man has been linked with a move away from St. James’ Park before now, but has remained on Tyneside.
Having no European football to play can’t be overlooked by him or his teammates, however. Particularly if they want to keep their places in their respective national teams.
Bayern Munich keeping tabs on Anthony Gordon
It’s understood that former Man City captain and now Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany is a big admirer of Gordon’s and is likely to consider making a bid for his services in the summer.
Should Newcastle remain outside of the EPL’s top seven, that could drive the player’s price down; however, club CEO David Hopkinson won’t allow the Magpies to be dictated to in the transfer market.
“We think through what players might or might not want to do this summer,” he was quoted as saying back in March. “But if an Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms, and we’re going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club.
“Going forward, our strategy is to buy well and sell well.”
Most goals, most shots on target, most big chances created
It’s perfectly understandable, of course, why Bayern and other suitors are interested in the 25-year-old’s services, and Hopkinson’s words could be interpreted as suggesting that certain players will be available for transfer.
To date in 2025/26, Gordon has made 46 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists (as well as hitting the woodwork three times), the most in the entire Newcastle squad.
All 17 goals were scored from inside the penalty box, 15 of them with his right foot, and his shot accuracy of 62.1% can’t be topped.
Only Nick Woltemade’s conversion rate (20.8%) is better than Gordon’s 19.5%, with the latter’s 10 fast breaks just one fewer than Harvey Barnes, the pair being the two players to get into double digits in this regard.
No one has more than the winger’s 41 shots on target or 31 big chances created. His big chance conversion rate of 51.6% is the best return, and Gordon still has 100% accuracy from the penalty spot (nine from nine).
Linking up with Kane could be fruitful
Although his 81.8% pass completion is more than adequate, when compared to his Newcastle teammates, it’s distinctly average. Hence, this is one area of his game that could be improved upon – and will need to be if he’s to flourish in a Bayern side chock full of superstar players.
Never one to shirk a challenge, just six Magpies players have been involved in more than Gordon’s 318 one-on-ones, and a 63% tackle success rate (17 from 27 attempted) places him in the top 10.
One can only begin to imagine that in a team as expansive as the Bavarians, how easily Gordon will find the transition.
As much for the fact that, rather than taking on the lion’s share of responsibility for goals scored, he can concentrate on his natural game and provide a club and country link-up with Harry Kane that could prove very fruitful indeed for both players.
For now, Gordon and everyone connected to the Newcastle first team have to do their utmost to get themselves over the line in the race for Europe.
Bournemouth, Arsenal, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Fulham stand between them and the chance to end the season relatively successfully, given their current circumstances.
Six games that could not only decide Gordon’s future, but the actual direction that Newcastle as a club ends up taking…
