Bayern Munich Target Anthony Gordon with Nubel as Bargaining Chip

Bayern Munich want Anthony Gordon. Badly. What they don’t have right now is the cash to simply write a cheque Newcastle United can’t refuse.

So they’re reaching for a different lever.

Nubel as the bargaining chip

According to Bild, Bayern’s solution is clear: use Alexander Nubel as a makeweight in a deal designed to drag Gordon out of St James’ Park and into the Allianz Arena.

Newcastle’s situation opens the door. With Nick Pope edging towards an exit, the club are scouring the market for a new No 1. A ready-made, high-level goalkeeper is near the top of Eddie Howe’s list, and Nubel, fresh from a strong loan spell at Stuttgart, fits the profile.

The 29-year-old is due back in Munich this summer and is tied to Bayern until June 2030. On paper, that’s long-term security. In reality, there is no pathway for him there.

Manuel Neuer stays the immovable presence. Jonas Urbig has been lined up as the next project. Sven Ulreich remains the trusted deputy. Nubel is the odd man out, and Bayern have stopped pretending otherwise.

“We've had discussions with his management and Alex is also aware of our plans,” sporting director Christoph Freund said, laying out the club’s stance. “We're heading into next season with this trio of goalkeepers; that's the plan.”

The message is blunt: Nubel will not be part of Bayern’s future. But he might be the key to unlocking their present.

Bayern’s attacking intent

The German champions have already signposted where they want to strengthen. They want an attacker — but on their terms.

“We agree that we will sign an attacking player if he is affordable,” Max Eberl said before Bayern’s DFB Cup final win over Stuttgart in Berlin, speaking at a Bild event. “We had a very good discussion and hope that we can make progress.”

Affordable. For Bayern, that now likely means creativity rather than brute financial force. Using Nubel to soften Newcastle’s valuation of Gordon is exactly that kind of move: part negotiation, part necessity.

Gordon, with his pace, directness, and Premier League pedigree, would give Bayern a different edge in the final third. But Newcastle know his value, both on the pitch and in the market. Any package that includes Nubel still has to make sense in pounds and in performances.

Newcastle’s dilemma

This is where the deal becomes complicated.

Newcastle are not short of ambition. They need an elite-level goalkeeper now, not in two or three years. They are also looking hard at younger options, including Lens keeper Robin Risser, as they weigh up how to reshape the position after Pope.

Do they take Nubel as part of a blockbuster swap and sacrifice one of their most dangerous forwards? Or do they hold out for pure cash and pursue a separate goalkeeping solution?

Timing makes the decision even trickier. Nubel is currently away with Germany at the World Cup in North America, his immediate future effectively parked until the tournament ends. Any serious progress on a swap could drift into late summer as a result, just as pre-season plans harden and squads need clarity.

Bayern can wait if it means landing their man. Newcastle have less room for hesitation. With Howe pushing for a defensive upgrade and Gordon central to their attacking threat, the call they make on this proposal will say plenty about where the club believes its next step lies.