Newcastle agreed £45m deal with medical booked before PSR twist - Report

According to The Mail, Newcastle were closing in on the signing of Liverpool defender Joe Gomez before a late twist at the end of June's PSR deadline.

Our search for a right-sided centre-back has been well documented and it's believed discussions took place over Jarell Quansah and Gomez.

The Mail report that our late scramble for sales - needed to avoid a PSR breach and points deduction - saw Liverpool push to sign Anthony Gordon in return. At one stage, it's believed an agreement was in place to take Gomez for £45m, with it proposed that Gordon would head in the other direction in a deal worth £75m.

This would've allowed us to sign a Premier League proven right-sided centre-back with pace, quality in possession and the sort of versatility Eddie Howe craves. However, that would've come with the sale of Gordon and a high-profile exit the club were desperate to avoid if possible.

Thankfully, transfer breakthroughs arrived elsewhere, with Nottingham Forest and Brighton paying a combined £68m for Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh respectively. This ended any need to negotiate a part-exchange with Liverpool and both deals were called off, despite medicals being lined up in Leipzig for the pair away at Euro 2024 at the time.

The Mail report that Gomez, 27, was open to sealing a move to St James' Park, feeling he could've been handed regular first-team football in his preferred position.

It wasn't to be - a big relief given we could've lost Gordon in the process - but I do wonder if we'll reignite our interest in Gomez; an available right-sided centre-back who ticks plenty of boxes and appears to be open to a move.