Anthony Gordon on how close he came to joining Chelsea
Anthony Gordon on how close he came to joining Chelsea. Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon has revealed that he was “desperate” to join Chelsea while incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel was still in charge of the Blues.
Gordon was a prised asset at Everton during the summer of 2022, attracting admiring glances from clubs across the country after impressing for an Everton side that had successfully battled and survived relegation.
Chelsea were one of the rumoured suitors at the time. The capital club had recently been taken over by the consortium fronted by Todd Boehly, who appointed himself as interim sporting director for that summer’s transfer window.
When reflecting on a move that never materialized while on England duty in November, Gordon outlined the attraction of working with Tuchel.
“It was quite close to be honest,” the 23-year-old told reporters.
“I was desperate to go at the time and work with him, especially. I felt like my style would suit his style of play, the way he was playing at Chelsea which was very exciting for me. It was a big opportunity for me that didn’t end up happening and I’m looking forward to getting to work with him a couple of years later.”
Everton held on to their academy graduate that summer before selling him to Newcastle for £45m in the following January. Tuchel, meanwhile, had been sacked by Chelsea less than a week after the closure of the summer window.
A report from The Guardian at the time claimed that the German coach had fallen out with Boehly during the chaotic transfer negotiations and cited Gordon’s failed move as a prime example of the conflict.
Tuchel, who will take over as England coach on January 1, reportedly quashed Boehly’s plans to sign Gordon. This understandably led to suggestions that the English winger would suffer from the regime change at international level, but Gordon was keen to dismiss those concerns.
Gordon revealed that warm words were exchanged between the pair when Chelsea hosted Everton on the opening day of the 2022/23 campaign a month before Tuchel’s departure.
“I spoke to him after the game when I shook his hand,” he said.
“He said some really complimentary things to me, which I’ll keep to myself. But, yeah, I spoke to him and I felt a lot of warmth from him, which then made me really want to play for him. I didn’t get that chance.”
