Newcastle United Target 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, spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest. Any move to second-tier Newcastle will require a fee, a measure of how highly Liverpool still rate a player who has been on Merseyside for five years and signed an extension in 2025.
A proven scorer at this level, Kiernan has hit 23 goals in 76 appearances for Liverpool and was central to their surge back to the top flight. In the 2021-22 campaign she powered their WSL 2 title win, finishing as the club’s leading scorer with 14 goals and setting the tempo for Matt Beard’s side in attack.
Her path to Liverpool ran through Shelbourne and West Ham. After breaking through at Shelbourne, she earned a move to the WSL with West Ham, where she made more than 40 appearances and quickly built a reputation as a direct, hard-running forward who stretches defences and works relentlessly off the ball.
That profile carried into the international game. Since her debut in 2017, Kiernan has collected 38 caps for the Republic of Ireland, becoming a regular presence in senior squads and adding European and international experience that Newcastle have rarely been able to tap into.
Yet at Liverpool, opportunities have dried up. Under Gareth Taylor she struggled for minutes last season, starting just once in the WSL before heading to Forest in January in search of game time. The competition has only intensified on Merseyside with Germany forward Vivien Endemann arriving from Wolfsburg to strengthen Liverpool’s attacking options.
The pressure on Kiernan’s place has opened a door for Newcastle. Backed by ambitious ownership and already six signings deep into a busy window, they are building a squad designed not just to compete, but to push hard for the WSL 2 title.
Kiernan would add exactly the kind of edge they have been chasing: experience of winning promotion, a track record of goals in the division, and the mentality of a player who has fought for her role at top-flight and international level.
If Newcastle get this over the line, it will not just be another addition. It will be a clear signal that they intend to move fast through the pyramid – and that established WSL names are now willing to drop down a tier to be part of that journey.
