Garth Crooks: Anthony Gordon absolutely right to quit Everton, Newcastle United ace makes team of the week
Garth Crooks has named Anthony Gordon in his latest team of the week and claimed the winger made the right choice in deciding to swap Everton for Newcastle.
Gordon scored the controversial winner in Newcastle’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday 4 November, and Crooks claims the move was a match made in heaven.
Everton sold Gordon to Newcastle in a £45million deal last January [Sky Sports, 30 January], and he has gone on to score four goals and record two assists in his ten Premier League appearances so far this season.
Crooks was writing in his team of the week article for BBC Sport on 6 November, as he shared: “There are times when a player moves to a club, and you know within a couple of games whether he has made the right choice.
“Willian’s move from Chelsea to Arsenal, for example, simply didn’t work. Neither has Jadon Sancho’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United.
“Conversely, you get some players who join clubs and you would think they were made for that team. Anthony Gordon’s move from Everton to Newcastle United appears to be one of them.
“He was outstanding away at Manchester United in the League Cup in midweek and equally impressive against Arsenal at St James’ Park, regardless of what you thought of the decisions made by the officials. You cannot blame Gordon for that.”
A successful move for all parties
At the time this deal was struck, Everton would have been laughing at the £45million fee they drew out of Newcastle, and even now they will be grateful for that incoming money.
With alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules hanging over their head, the huge sum received from selling Gordon went a long way towards balancing the books on the transfer side of things and allowed the Toffees to reinvest the money into their squad.
Gordon has found inspired form under Eddie Howe, having scored just seven goals in his 51-game Premier League career prior to the move, he has racked up five in 26 since joining the Magpies and will be looking to keep up this strong vein of form.
If he continues scoring big goals for Newcastle, Crooks may well be right with his suggestion that he made the right call to quit Everton, and the deal has proved to be a success on all sides so far.
In other Everton news, a journalist has suggested Chelsea could move for an Everton star.