Newcastle Target Liverpool Forward Leanne Kiernan in Ambitious Move

Newcastle United are in advanced talks to sign Republic of Ireland forward Leanne Kiernan from Liverpool, in what would be one of the most eye-catching deals of the Championship summer.

At 27, Kiernan arrives with a body of work behind her. Five years at Liverpool. A promotion-winning season. Goals in big moments. And yet, over the past year, she has increasingly found herself on the fringes.

She still has more than a year left on her Liverpool contract, having signed an extension in 2025, so Newcastle are expected to pay a fee to get the deal done. For a second-tier club, that underlines intent. This is not opportunism; it is a statement.

A proven scorer with something to prove

Kiernan’s numbers at Liverpool are solid and telling: 23 goals in 76 appearances for the Reds, many of them coming in the club’s push back to the top flight. During the 2021-22 campaign, she drove Liverpool to the WSL 2 title, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 14 goals. When the pressure rose, she delivered.

Her journey to Merseyside ran through West Ham, where she made more than 40 WSL appearances after breaking through at Shelbourne. This is a forward who has seen both ends of the table, who understands the grind of promotion battles and the sharp edge of top-flight football.

Internationally, Kiernan has been a regular presence for the Republic of Ireland since her debut in 2017, collecting 38 caps. She brings not just club experience, but the rhythm and responsibility of international football.

Squeezed out at Liverpool

The story at Liverpool has shifted. Under Gareth Taylor, Kiernan has struggled for minutes, starting just once in the WSL last season before heading out on loan to Nottingham Forest in January for the second half of the campaign.

The competition has only intensified. Liverpool have moved to refresh their attack this summer, bringing in Germany forward Vivien Endemann from Wolfsburg. For Kiernan, the path back into the starting XI has narrowed.

That context makes Newcastle’s move feel perfectly timed. A forward in her prime, underused at a top club, hungry for a central role.

Newcastle’s intent is clear

Newcastle have already been busy, with six signings through the door as they gear up to mount a serious tilt at the WSL 2 title. Kiernan would add something different: proven end product at this level and above, and the mentality of a player who has already dragged a side over the promotion line.

For a club pushing hard to climb into the WSL, this is exactly the profile they need. Not a prospect. A finisher. A player who has lived the pressure of expectation and come out with medals and numbers to show for it.

If Newcastle get this over the line, they won’t just be adding depth. They’ll be arming their promotion charge with a forward who knows precisely what it takes to get out of this division—and stay out.