Ex-Preston North End man subject of £100m transfer talk - while Wigan Athletic 'keen' on defender'

Jordan Jones
By Jordan Jones
Published 13th May 2024, 15:00 BST
Anthony Gordon in action for Preston. He is a reported target for Liverpool who are planning for life without Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesAnthony Gordon in action for Preston. He is a reported target for Liverpool who are planning for life without Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Anthony Gordon in action for Preston. He is a reported target for Liverpool who are planning for life without Jurgen Klopp. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Latest Preston North End transfer news which involves two of their former players.

Former Preston North End loan man Anthony Gordon is being linked with a sensational £100m return to Merseyside.

The Daily Express report that Liverpool are interested in signing Gordon and it will cost them a reported £100m. He only joined Newcastle United from Everton in August 2023 for a reported £45m, and now the Reds - in a post Jurgen Klopp - era are said to be keen on signing Gordon.

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Gordon has been a leading player for the Magpies this season with 10 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League. He made his debut for the England national team in March and is pushing for a place in Gareth Southgate's squad for EURO 2024.

A potential big money move to Anfield is perhaps not what many would have expected when Gordon was on loan at Deepdale. He obviously had some talent having made 11 appearances in the 2020/21 campaign, but since that loan spell he has gone on to play in the Champions League and is now being spoken about as potentially becoming one of the third most expensive signings in Premier League history.

In other news, Wigan Athletic has been spoken about as a possible next club for ex-PNE defender Joe Rafferty. The right-back was not kept on by Portsmouth after winning the League One title and it was a decision he didn't agree with.

In an interview with our friends at The News, he said: “I kind of feel a bit hard done to, I feel I deserve to be there next season and in the Championship, but that’s life sometimes.”

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The Sun’s EFL journalist Alan Nixon is reporting - on his Patreon - that Rafferty is eyeing a return to the North West and that the DW Stadium is a possible destination. The Latics finished 12th last season amid a series of points deductions; Rafferty could help front up their business as they aim for a higher finish.

He has spent most of his career in the Championship and League One, with seven-and-a-half seasons at Rochdale before joining North End in 2018. A signing made during the Alex Neil era, Rafferty appeared 72 times for the Lilywhites before departing in 2022 on a free.

Related topics:Wigan AthleticLeague OnePortsmouthAlex NeilNorth WestRochdaleLilywhitesPremier LeagueLiverpoolJurgen KloppChampions LeagueNewcastle UnitedGareth SouthgateEnglandEuro 2024Deepdale

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