Eyes on the prize, not on the Gunners: Howe tells Gordon to ignore transfer talk
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 27.02.26. | 22:30
Linked with Arsenal, Anthony Gordon is urged by Newcastle's boss to block distractions and stay focused on the pitch
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has urged Anthony Gordon to stay "fully focused" amid reported interest from Arsenal.
Gordon is the latest key figure at the club to attract transfer speculation, despite the England international dismissing such talk as "a load of rubbish" in an interview just last week.
The comments come after Newcastle sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a British-record £125m last year, following the Swede's strike, prompting questions about how Howe could prevent a similar situation.
"I'm not sure there's a lot I can do about that," Howe said. "I've not seen the story, so it's news to me.
"But we're mid-season, in the middle of some of the biggest games of his career, and who knows what's going to happen internationally with Anthony in the summer as well. He hasn't got time to look left or right. He has to stay fully focused on what's ahead, the next game, and being the best he can be."
Gordon, along with Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento, has been linked with moves away in recent months, but Howe insists it comes with the territory.
"It's your industry that is creating those stories," he added. "I'm slightly secluded from it.
"If you don't read it, you don't know who's been linked to whom. Isn't it just part of modern football that players are constantly linked with moves - not just Newcastle's, but across many clubs?
"It's irrelevant, really. What matters is how players react. If they absorb it and let it affect them, that's a negative. But I think our players are robust enough to ignore it."
PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 28
Friday
23.00: (4.50) Wolverhampton (3.60) Aston Villa (1.90)
Saturday
15.30: (1.80) Bournemouth (3.60) Sunderland (4.60)
18.00: (4.60) Burnley (3.80) Brentford (1.80)
18.00: (1.42) Liverpool (5.00) West Ham (8.00)
18.00: (1.75) Newcastle (4.00) Everton (4.80)
20.30: (5.35) Leeds (4.25) Manchester City (1.63)
Sunday
17.00: (2.15) Brighton (3.45) Nottingham Forest (3.50)
17.00: (2.15) Fulham (3.60) Tottenham (3.50)
17.00: (1.58) Manchester United (4.50) Crystal Palace (5.70)
19.30: (1.65) Arsenal (4.25) Chelsea (5.30)
***odds are subject to change***