Eddie Howe skirts question around Anthony Gordon's future

Eddie Howe held his final pre-match press conference of the season on Friday morning ahead of Newcastle United's clash with Fulham on Sunday.

The Magpies bring the curtain down on this forgettable season at Craven Cottage on Sunday as they go into this game with absolutely nothing to play for but pride, and hopefully a jump up the table.

Sunday's game could well be the last chance Anthony Gordon will get to represent Newcastle United before he leaves the club in the summer.

Gordon is being strongly linked with a move away. Bayern Munich is leading the chase for the England winger. There's still plenty of work to be done before any move goes ahead, however, and that was evident when Howe was asked about Gordon's future.

Howe is excellent at giving details without giving details

Howe was asked flat out if this would be Gordon's last game for Newcastle and what kind of send-off he should receive, but while Howe wouldn't be drawn in making a definitive statement on his winger's future, reading between the lines, he actually said a lot.

“It’s a difficult one for me to comment on, in terms of how he should be remembered, because that's us almost saying that he is going, and there's no guarantee. 

“We don't know at this moment whether it will be his last game. Obviously, I've picked a team, as I've said many times, that in the last few weeks that's been performing well.

“Anthony's come back from injury. He's been great around the group. He's been absolutely part of the team, so there's been no issues. 

"Let's see what happens. The right time to give an answer to that question would be if he does leave, and then I'll obviously discuss that with you.”

Gordon is definitely off

Just that first line alone tells us that an exit is in the offing. It's clear that a deal is being worked on, but as we already know, Newcastle and Bayern are about £15 million apart on the valuation, which is going to be a sticking point, which is why Howe can't say either way right now.

There are other clubs that are interested and could be more willing to pay the asking price, but it's being reported that Gordon would prefer a move abroad, so that could scupper a deal, too.

It definitely sounds to us like he's on the way out one way or another. Gordon's body language at full-time on Sunday spoke volumes to fans. He cut an isolated figure and had to be encouraged to join the lap of honour. That stinks of a player who doesn't want to be here. Add to that his lack of involvement in recent games despite being fit, and we clearly have our answer.

Our question is, why does Howe waste a squad space on him each week?