Although there are ongoing winger transfer rumors involving Liverpool, the Reds already have two, so perhaps Arne Slot will decide against bolstering his offensive options.
Wingers being linked to a move to Anfield has been a recurring theme in Liverpool’s summer transfer rumors. The Reds are reportedly looking for more quality in the wide areas, starting with Crysencio Summerville at Leeds United and moving up to Nico Williams of Athletic Club and Ibrahima Bakayoko of PSV Eindhoven.
Another player who has been connected is Federico Chiesa. Last month, Newcastle United made an approach to sign Anthony Gordon to help Liverpool make up for their financial losses before the Premier League’s June 30 deadline regarding their Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Gordon was offered to the Reds, but they declined for two reasons. They thought they had many of options in the wide attacking areas, especially on the left side where England international Gordon has excelled at St James’ Park. The first was that they had no intention of include Jarell Quansah in the trade that Newcastle had suggested.
Liverpool’s strategy made sense because Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez can all play off the left; however, there are concerns about the same depth on the right side, where Harvey Elliott is occasionally moved out wide to offset Mohamed Salah’s absence.
Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon, two players eager to begin their senior careers on Merseyside under a completely different administration, will be hoping that the rumors surrounding the incomings are unfounded.
Gordon’s ascent into the starting lineup was swift after he left Derby County in February 2021. He made his senior debut under Jurgen Klopp in September of that year, playing in a League Cup match against Norwich City that resulted in win. The campaign was ultimately successful.
At 16 years and 351 days, the winger was the fifth youngest player in the history of the team, behind Jerome Sinclair, Harvey Elliott, Jack Robinson, and James Norris. Due to provisions inserted into the contract, Derby was paid £100,000 following his debut. However, Liverpool later attempted to take advantage of the financially troubled Rams, paying £500,000 to have a sell-on clause removed from his contract.
Liverpool took a risk to remove the 20% sell-on terms, evidently thinking that he had a very high ceiling. At the time, Derby needed the extra cash after a season that included administration, a points punishment, and a drawn-out takeover dispute.
A month after he scored in an FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town (4-1), Gordon made club history by starting in a League Cup semi-final victory at Arsenal, making him the youngest player to start in a major semifinal.
He became the second-youngest Anfield scorer ever that day with the equalizer, and later that month, he made his Premier League debut as a substitute in an Anfield victory over Brentford. If he can avoid injuries, his impressive resume suggests a promising future.
The first thing Pep Lijnders claims he said to Klopp upon seeing the adolescent in the youth ranks was, “Wow, we have a new player here.” “He has fire in each moment he touches the ball.”
However, Gordon has had a terrible time with injuries since the early 2022 highs. A pelvic problem kept him out of action for about eighteen months, which seriously hampered his progress under Klopp, who obviously trusted his young wideman.
In June of last year, U-21s manager Barry Lewtas told the ECHO, “What is difficult with certain kinds of injuries, especially with younger boys who are growing, they are complicated.”
It’s not as simple as breaking a bone, allowing it to mend, and continuing. Unfortunately for Kaide, some of these ailments are more complicated than others. Kaide’s growth has been connected to it, and he’s grown larger and taller since his last game.
Gordon was scheduled to fly to Austria for the preseason training tour in 2022 and to Dubai for the mid-season warm-weather camp during the World Cup break. Liverpool was keen to ensure that Gordon stayed involved with the senior group.
It’s safe to say that Gordon has been gradually reintegrated into the first team since then. Because the Reds had already guaranteed their spot in the knockout stages, Klopp started the youngster in a 2-1 Europa League loss to Union Saint-Gilloise, and he was clear that there would be no preparations to loan the teen out because he thought his development would be best served with his own club.
After making substitute appearances, the team defeated Southampton 3-0 in the FA Cup and defeated Bournemouth 4-0 in the Premier League in late January. Nevertheless, there hasn’t been a desire to throw Gordon back into the deep end just yet.
A solid preseason performance will help Slot move on to the next chapter of his Anfield tenure, which got off to a fantastic start prior to the “complex” injury setback. At the moment, Slot is without Nunez, Jota, Gakpo, and Diaz.
That also goes for Doak, who is trying to have a great start to his own summer after shortening his vacation to return to Liverpool as close to full strength as possible.
One source claims that the Reds are “taking no half measures” to get the Scotland international back to full fitness, and the team has received backlash behind closed doors for how they have handled the former Celtic starlet’s injury issues in recent months.
Last month, Doak returned to Scotland and used Killbirnie’s Valefield Park for one-on-one sessions under the supervision of Empire Performance. These sessions were scheduled in with the work that Liverpool required of him, and the right-winger reconnected with his childhood friend Dylan Reid, a midfielder currently undergoing training at Crystal Palace’s youth ranks.
After suffering MCL damage against Chelsea while playing for the U21s in December, which all but destroyed his season, another setback while trying to argue for Scotland’s inclusion at the European Championship was devastating for the proud Glaswegian.
“He is young, he is a fit guy, he is a positive guy so for sure he will come back stronger, and we need him to come back with the same fire he has with the ball, how he was,” Lijnders stated in December. “We’ll wait for him; he may need some time.”
Resuming his pre-season training under Slot at the AXA Training Centre, Doak, like Gordon, is expecting a fresh start this summer. The upcoming weeks will present both players with genuine chances to demonstrate why their rumors of being linked to other top wingers are merely conjecture.
