Newcastle United Pursue Leanne Kiernan from Liverpool

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

The 27-year-old, who has a year left on her Liverpool contract, is expected to command a fee as Newcastle look to add proven top-flight quality to a squad being built to attack the WSL 2 title.

From Liverpool spearhead to the fringes

Kiernan has spent five years at Liverpool, signing an extension in 2025 and helping to drag the club back to the top tier. Her most prolific spell came in the 2021-22 campaign, when she fired 14 goals and finished as the club’s top scorer in their WSL 2 title-winning season. Across all competitions, she has 23 goals in 76 appearances for the Reds.

That impact made her one of the central figures in Liverpool’s resurgence. But the picture has shifted.

Game time has dried up under current boss Gareth Taylor. Kiernan started just once in the WSL last season before heading out on loan to Nottingham Forest in January, a move that underlined both her desire to play and Liverpool’s changing attacking priorities.

Those priorities have hardened this summer with the arrival of Germany forward Vivien Endemann from Wolfsburg, adding another obstacle in Kiernan’s path.

A seasoned international on the move

For Newcastle, that frustration represents opportunity.

Kiernan brings serious pedigree. She broke through at Shelbourne, earned a move to West Ham, and made more than 40 WSL appearances for the Hammers before switching to Liverpool. On the international stage, she has 38 caps for the Republic of Ireland since her debut in 2017, experience that carries weight in any dressing room.

Newcastle, still in the second tier, are not just signing a forward. They are chasing a player who has already led a promotion charge and lived the pressure of delivering when a club demands a step up.

Ambitious Newcastle eye proven firepower

The Tyneside club have been busy. Six new additions are already through the door as they gear up for a serious push at the WSL 2 title, and Kiernan would add something they still lack in volume: established, battle-tested attacking depth.

Her movement in behind, direct running and record in front of goal at this level make her a natural fit for a side that wants to dominate games rather than survive them. For a club with clear ambitions of reaching and staying in the WSL, this is the kind of deal that signals intent to the rest of the division.

Liverpool, meanwhile, stand to cash in on a player who has slipped down the pecking order, freeing space for Endemann and others to reshape the frontline.

If Newcastle get this over the line, they will not just be signing a forward. They will be landing a promotion specialist with unfinished business in English football.