Newcastle United Target Liverpool Forward Leanne Kiernan

Newcastle United are in advanced talks to prise Republic of Ireland forward Leanne Kiernan away from Liverpool, in what would be a statement signing for the second-tier club.

Kiernan, 27, still has more than a year left on her Liverpool deal, so Newcastle are expected to pay a fee to get the deal done. She has spent the past five years on Merseyside, signing an extension in 2025 and growing into a trusted part of the Reds’ attack.

Her numbers back that up.

• Twenty-three goals in 76 appearances.
• Top scorer in Liverpool’s 2021-22 WSL 2 title-winning campaign with 14 goals, driving them back to the top flight and underlining her reputation as a ruthless finisher when fully fit and trusted.

That pedigree is exactly what Newcastle are chasing.

From Shelbourne to a promotion specialist

Kiernan’s journey has been steady and hard-earned rather than flashy. She broke through at Shelbourne before earning a move to West Ham, where she made more than 40 WSL appearances and adapted quickly to the demands of English football.

International recognition followed. Since her debut in 2017, she has collected 38 caps for the Republic of Ireland, offering energy, direct running and a constant willingness to attack space across the front line.

For a Newcastle side with serious ambitions of climbing into the WSL, that experience in promotion battles and at international level carries weight. They are not just signing goals; they are targeting someone who has already helped drag a team out of the second tier.

Squeezed out at Liverpool

Yet while her record at Liverpool is respectable, her role has shrunk. Game time has been scarce under manager Gareth Taylor. Kiernan started just once in the WSL last season before heading out on loan to Nottingham Forest in January for the second half of the campaign.

That loan underlined the problem: a player with proven end product, but increasingly stuck behind others in the pecking order.

Liverpool’s summer business has tightened the squeeze. The arrival of Germany forward Vivien Endemann from Wolfsburg has added fresh competition in attack, making a clean break more logical for both club and player.

For Kiernan, the move north offers a reset. For Newcastle, it offers an edge.

Newcastle’s intent is clear

Newcastle have not been shy this window. Six signings already, and still pushing. The pursuit of Kiernan fits the pattern of a club determined not just to compete in WSL 2, but to control it.

Attacking depth has been a clear target. A forward who knows how to navigate a promotion race, who has lived the pressure of a title push with Liverpool, is exactly the kind of addition that can turn a promising squad into a ruthless one.

If Newcastle get this over the line, they won’t just be adding another name to a busy summer list.

They will be landing a striker who has already proved she can fire a team out of this division—and might be ready to do it all over again in black and white.