Anthony Gordon may have played his final match for Newcastle United, with Bayern Munich emerging as leading contenders for the 25-year-old winger's signature ahead of the summer transfer window.

Gordon missed last weekend's 2-1 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth with a hip injury and is also expected to sit out this weekend's home fixture against Arsenal. The absence is the latest blow for Eddie Howe, whose side have now lost three consecutive league matches and sit 14th in the table.

Bayern circle as Newcastle's season unravels

Speculation linking Gordon to Bayern Munich has intensified in recent weeks. The German club have demonstrated a clear appetite for Premier League attacking talent, having already secured Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Diaz from English football.

Gordon's Champions League form this season made him impossible to ignore. He scored 10 goals in 12 appearances in the competition — a tally surpassed only by Kane and Kylian Mbappé across the entire tournament. His Premier League output was more modest, with 6 goals and 2 assists in 26 appearances, but his European numbers underline a player capable of performing at the highest level.

World Cup timing adds another layer

With the FIFA World Cup now fewer than two months away, Gordon — an England international — has every incentive to protect himself from further injury. Aggravating his hip problem when Newcastle have nothing left to play for this season would be a significant gamble, one the winger is unlikely to take.

The Daily Mail has reported that the injury is not considered serious enough to threaten his World Cup participation, and Newcastle remain hopeful he will feature in the final weeks of the campaign. However, whether Gordon is willing to risk his fitness for a club that will not be playing European football next season is another matter entirely.

End of a three-year chapter?

Newcastle's failure to secure European qualification fundamentally weakens their hand in any contract or transfer negotiations. Without the prospect of Champions League football to offer, holding onto a player of Gordon's ambition becomes considerably harder.

Gordon arrived from Everton three years ago and has developed into one of the most exciting wide players in England. If Bayern do follow through with a summer move, his departure would represent a significant loss for the Magpies — and a statement signing for the Bundesliga giants.