The abuse Anthony Gordon has received from Everton fans will not help convince him to sign a new contract at the club, journalist Dean Jones has claimed.

What's the word?

The Englishman played an important part in saving Everton from relegation last season, but his form has stuttered in recent months and he has received a lot of criticism from Toffees fans.

This came to a head when he was abused as he was leaving Goodison Park following their defeat to Southampton, and the 21-year-old is currently in contract negotiations with the club.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones claimed that the incident with the fans is unlikely to help convince him to stay considering the amount of transfer interest in him.

He said: "The way that they've gone about things here, particularly this section of support, it's just not the way you go about things.

"This is just going beyond where you should in terms of sticking up for what you believe in as a supporter.

"From a Gordon point of view, talks are ongoing about a new contract... obviously, this isn't going to convince him to sign that."

A transfer could be best

Given that he is not currently contributing a lot on the pitch, with three goals and zero assists in 18 matches this campaign, if there is still interest in the winger, Everton could take a gamble and sell Gordon.

They rejected sizeable bids, which could have totalled at least £45m from Chelsea in the summer, and whilst it may be unlikely that they receive a similar offer amid his current form, if one of the clubs previously linked with him, such as Newcastle, were to come in for him, a sale could generate some necessary funds.

If Everton can use these funds to then sign two or three players who can strengthen the squad and provide a better output than Gordon in their bid for survival, then it could be a gamble worth taking - though time is clearly running out.