Progress on key contract talks are proving too slow and unsettled star is feeling unappreciated - journalist

Newcastle United are still playing catch-up after a horrendous summer as the club makes moves to paper over the cracks left by two poor transfer windows.

Perhaps even worse than not bringing any players is was how the club unsettled last season's star player, Anthony Gordon by playing with the idea of selling the former Everton man to Liverpool in order to comply with PSR.

While that idea never really got beyond the idea stage it became a huge story over the summer and it clearly affected Gordon with The Telegraph saying that the distraction was one of the reasons the Newcastle ace only saw four minutes of action for England at Euro 2024.

The transfer window has long since been closed but the effects still linger as Gordon looks to be a shadow of his former self on the pitch with many people pointing out just how poor his body language has been.

Anthony Gordon is coming back off a tough summer

Last season Gordon was like a hyperactive puppy who chased every lost cause, this season he barely puts in any effort to correct his own errors when he loses the ball.

In a deep dive on Gordon, The Telegraph stacks up the excuses as to why he may be struggling; namely the short turnaround from the Euros to the Premier League with little time to rest and recuperate, the Liverpool transfer saga, and Newcastle's failure to show any real ambition in the transfer market.

That last one isn't just a Gordon problem, either, with several players unhappy with the summer business - and rightly so - but what's done is done and now it falls on them to get the club to a place that makes it more appealing for potential transfer targets.

Gordon's performances this season haven't warranted a lucrative new deal

Perhaps most telling, in terms of Gordon's mood, is that the £45 million man was promised a new lucrative long-term deal for his performances last season, but as yet progress has been slow.

Those close to Gordon have even said that he's feeling underappreciated and doesn't feel his true value is being reflected in the terms on offer.

As things stand, however, Gordon is reportedly still giving it his all in training and has not kicked up a fuss akin to that of his antics which saw him leave Everton. However, it's very clear that Gordon needs to stop lingering on what might have been and get focused on what can be.

Right now though, Gordon finds himself in a tough spot because his on-field performances this season have not warranted the type of contract he feels he deserves, so the only way to speed things up would be to start putting the effort in again.