Bayern Munich Pursue Anthony Gordon Amid Nubel's Key Role
Bayern Munich want Anthony Gordon. Badly. What they don’t have right now is the cash to simply write Newcastle United a cheque and walk away with one of the Premier League’s most explosive wide forwards.
So they’re reaching for a different lever.
Nubel at the heart of Bayern’s gamble
According to Bild, Bayern plan to use Alexander Nubel as a makeweight in a complex deal aimed at driving down Newcastle’s asking price for Gordon. It is a classic big-club move: turn a surplus asset into a bargaining chip.
On paper, Nubel should be returning to the Allianz Arena this summer in a position of strength. His loan spell at Stuttgart has rebuilt his reputation, and his contract in Munich runs until June 2030. In reality, the door has closed on him at Bayern.
The goalkeeping hierarchy is set. Manuel Neuer remains the immovable reference point, with Jonas Urbig and Sven Ulreich locked in behind him. There is no room for sentiment.
Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund did not bother to dress it up. “We've had discussions with his management and Alex is also aware of our plans,” he said. “We're heading into next season with this trio of goalkeepers; that's the plan.”
For Nubel, the message is blunt. For Newcastle, it is an opening.
Newcastle’s goalkeeper dilemma
St James’ Park is braced for change between the posts. With Nick Pope edging towards the exit, Newcastle are scouring the market for a new No 1. A 29-year-old German international, fresh from a strong Bundesliga campaign, is not an easy profile to ignore.
Nubel ticks a lot of boxes: experienced, in his prime years, used to pressure and expectation. That alone makes him an intriguing proposition for a club trying to push into the Champions League places and tighten up defensively after an erratic season at the back.
But the calculation on Tyneside is far from straightforward.
Eddie Howe needs an immediate, elite upgrade in goal. Not a stop-gap, not a compromise. Newcastle are also running checks on younger options, including Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser, as they weigh up the long-term shape of the position.
Accepting Nubel as part of the deal means tying the future of their back line to Bayern’s cast-off. Turning him down might mean losing their best shot at landing top money for Gordon in this window.
Bayern’s attacking plan comes into focus
Bayern’s intentions in the market are no secret. The club hierarchy has already signposted a summer built around refreshing the attack — if the numbers add up.
“We agree that we will sign an attacking player if he is affordable,” sporting director Max Eberl said at a Bild event in Berlin, just before Bayern lifted the DFB Cup against Stuttgart. “We had a very good discussion and hope that we can make progress.”
Gordon fits that brief: direct, aggressive, relentless off the ball, and proven in one of Europe’s toughest leagues. He is exactly the kind of wide threat Bayern have lacked at times, a player who can unbalance defences on his own and drag a game into chaos.
The problem is price. Newcastle know his value, know his age profile, and know that Premier League clubs do not have to sell cheaply. That is why Bayern are trying to get creative.
Nubel is their currency.
World Cup clock slows the deal
There is another complication: time. This is not a deal that will be wrapped up in the first days of the window.
Nubel is currently away with Germany at the World Cup in North America, his focus fixed on the national team. That alone slows the pace of negotiations and medicals, and pushes serious movement towards the back end of the summer.
Newcastle, for their part, cannot afford to stand still. While they listen to Bayern’s proposal, they are simultaneously assessing Risser and other targets, trying to ensure that whatever happens with Gordon, the goalkeeping situation is resolved in time for Howe to build a settled back line before the new season kicks off.
So the saga drags towards late summer, with each side holding something the other wants. Bayern have the lure of a giant and the promise of a starring role for Gordon. Newcastle have the leverage of the Premier League and a player in demand.
In the end, the question is brutally simple: will Newcastle trade their livewire winger for Bayern’s spare goalkeeper and a reduced fee, or force the Germans to find the money and prove just how badly they really want Anthony Gordon?
