Newcastle United Target Leanne Kiernan from Liverpool
Newcastle United are pushing hard to make Leanne Kiernan the latest statement signing of their ambitious rebuild, with talks at an advanced stage over a move from Liverpool.
The Republic of Ireland international still has more than a year left on her deal at Anfield, so any agreement will require a fee – a clear sign of intent from a second-tier club determined to power its way into the WSL elite.
A proven scorer on the move
Kiernan, 27, has spent five years at Liverpool, a spell that peaked with her starring role in their 2021-22 WSL 2 title triumph. She finished that campaign as the club’s top scorer with 14 goals, driving Matt Beard’s side back into the top flight and underlining her status as one of the division’s most ruthless finishers.
Across all competitions for Liverpool, she has scored 23 goals in 76 appearances. Not spectacular numbers on paper, but they tell the story of a forward who works relentlessly, stretches defences and delivers when it matters in promotion battles.
Before Anfield, she cut her teeth in the WSL with West Ham, making more than 40 appearances after leaving Shelbourne. Each step has hardened her for the kind of pressure Newcastle now want her to embrace: turning expectation into promotion.
Limited chances, growing frustration
For all her pedigree, Kiernan’s Liverpool career has stalled. Game time has been scarce under Gareth Taylor, with the forward starting just once in the WSL last season before heading out on loan to Nottingham Forest in January.
That loan offered minutes, but it also underlined the reality: a player with 38 caps for the Republic of Ireland, who debuted for her country back in 2017, should not be on the fringes at club level.
Competition has only intensified. Liverpool have strengthened their attack again this summer with Germany forward Vivien Endemann arriving from Wolfsburg, pushing Kiernan further down the pecking order and making a clean break increasingly logical for all parties.
Newcastle’s intent is unmistakable
This is where Newcastle step in. Already busy in the market with six signings, they are assembling a squad built not just to compete in WSL 2, but to win it.
Kiernan would add exactly what promotion contenders crave: experience of a title race, a track record of scoring in the second tier, and the mentality of an international regular. She knows what it takes to drag a side over the line in a long, grinding campaign. Newcastle want that edge.
For a club operating outside the top flight, prising an established forward away from Liverpool is a bold move. It signals a project with pull, resources, and a clear plan.
If Newcastle get this over the line, they won’t just be adding depth up front. They’ll be landing a forward who has already fired one club to the title. The obvious question is whether she is about to do it again, in black and white.
