Anthony Gordon makes Liverpool transfer confession as Isak bid rejected

Anthony Gordon was subject to transfer talk over a possible move to Liverpool last summer and the Reds' attention is now on Alexander Isak after they saw a first bid rejected

Anthony Gordon has admitted he was going to leave Newcastle for Liverpool last summer and revealed that he has sympathy for wantaway forward Alexander Isak, who is currently being pursued by the Reds.

The Magpies have rejected a bid for Isak from Arne Slot's side 12 months on from Gordon's near-exit. A deal which would have seen Gordon head to Anfield was explored as Newcastle attempted to manage the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, but ultimately the attacker remained at St James' Park.

This summer, Isak wants the opportunity to leave despite the fact that Newcastle are adamant he is not for sale.

It is understood the Magpies would want a fee of at least £150million to part ways with their prized asset, who scored 27 goals last term. Isak is currently absent from his current club's pre-season tour and training alone at Real Sociedad.

And amidst the uncertainty Gordon has sympathy for his team-mate and is relieved he does not have another summer of speculation. "Yeah, as far as I’m concerned, I’m not linked to any clubs and I’m very happy where I am. I’m enjoying my football again and I feel refreshed," said Gordon.

"It was difficult for me because one, I had the Euros, which was horrendous for me mentally. I was there, I wasn’t playing," the Newcastle star said of last summer.

"Then I had the transfer stuff. With PSR, I thought I was going to leave at some point in the window. It didn’t happen. I had to get my head around that to begin with, and then to get my head around it again was hard. I’m a human-being.

"It’s really difficult. That is why I understand what Alex is going through at the moment."

"The last three years have been quite mentally draining for me," Gordon continued, reflecting on a series of summers that saw him linked to the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham before he joined Newcastle.

"Football became like a chore - there was always so much noise around me. There were so many games and I never had a summer off. It was draining me, in the end. This year I’ve had a full summer off, five or six weeks, with my family and friends.

"You can see, I’m really refreshed. I’ve got my appetite back for football and my hunger back. I feel that.

"For Alex, I feel for him too. It’s difficult. People forget you’re a human-being in that scenario. He will be going through a lot. The club is going through a lot. I hope everyone gets what they want in the end."

Former Everton star Gordon highlighted the difficulties for the squad amid the discussions over Isak. The 24-year-old says the Magpies have been left in the dark over the details around the situation.

"It's difficult for us, because there’s only so much we can actually do," he said. "We don’t actually know a lot. People always think players know the ins and outs, and the reality is we don’t. You guys (journalists) tell us most of the time!

"Listen, it’s just noise; there’s not much we can do. That’s a question for the manager, because I think he probably feels it more, or for people higher up at the club. As players, you just have to play. Do what is required of us and do the basics."