Liverpool had medical already planned for ‘unbelievable’ player this summer, he was desperate to join

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Liverpool are still waiting to make their first signing of the summer as the transfer window heads into its final month.

The Reds don’t look to need too much to add to the first-team squad before the Premier League season starts.

However, there are one or two gaps that Arne Slot could do with filling to make Liverpool a touch more competitive than they were towards the end of the last campaign.

While there have been promises that Liverpool will do business before the August 30th deadline, supporters are starting to get twitchy.

As fans wonder what’s going on in the background at Anfield, though, it’s become clear just how close they were to making a massive signing in June.

Liverpool had Joe Gomez swap deal planned

By now it is little secret that Liverpool wanted Anthony Gordon while Newcastle were struggling with PSR compliance at the end of June.

It also seems crystal clear that boyhood Red Gordon is desperate to play for Liverpool.

Newcastle opened the door for that to happen earlier in the summer, and there are worries from their point of view that Gordon might have had his head turned towards Anfield.

Hearing how far things went a couple of months ago, it would be no surprise if that were to be the case.

That’s because according to The Daily Mail, Liverpool and Newcastle had gone as far as planning a medical for the 23-year-old in Leipzig while he was away with England a Euro 2024.

READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano shares what it would take for Liverpool to sign Anthony Gordon

The reason Newcastle were heavily involved in those preparations was because, surprisingly, they were reportedly trying to sign Joe Gomez to go in the opposite direction.

It’s claimed that after Liverpool turned down an initial approach for Jarell Quansah from the Magpies, the idea of Gomez being sold for £45m and the ‘unbelievable’ Gordon going the other way for £75m was mooted.

The Liverpool man was said to be ‘happy at the chance for regular football’ and ‘open minded’ about leaving the Reds this summer.

However, everything reportedly collapsed when Newcastle sold Yankuba Minteh to Brighton, thus solving their PSR problems and taking the Gomez/Gordon deal off the table.

Newcastle playing dangerous Gordon game

This is a bit of a surprise. There was talk that Newcastle discussed signing another Liverpool player other than Quansah in the Gordon deal, but it is a shock to see that man be Gomez.

Gomez was vitally important to Liverpool last season and as a versatile option across the back four, should be again under Slot.

Nevertheless, you can understand his desire to play more regularly in his favoured position and Newcastle would look like a good move for him.

For £45m, Liverpool could hardly complain, too. Signed for a paltry fee and winning everything at the club for almost a decade, Gomez has been a wonderful signing.

Now, the sticking point is that Newcastle do not want to lose Gordon. But with the player clearly expecting to join his boyhood club, they have played a very dangerous game indeed. Perhaps this will be reignited in August.