Gordon, 23, has endured a difficult domestic season as Newcastle United have slid from Champions League qualification last term to a relegation battle this campaign. His European form has told a different story — ten goals in 12 Champions League appearances have attracted serious attention from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who are said to have begun preliminary contact with the club.
Newcastle view Gordon as worth considerably more than £55million, with some reports suggesting a figure closer to £75million would be required. He has four years remaining on his contract, giving the club leverage in any negotiation.
Howe addressed the situation directly in his Friday media briefing but offered no reassurances.
"It is difficult for me to comment too much on individual players and timescales, as that is going into an area that isn't really my forte. I will leave that to other people."
He insisted his focus remains solely on the final three matches of the season.
"All I am doing is try and finish the season in a strong way and make sure players are committed to the here and now. There is no point looking to the future."
On the summer window more broadly, Howe acknowledged the unpredictability of the market.
"The summer transfer window is difficult to predict and difficult to see what is going to happen on any level at this moment in time. We have three games to play and our full focus is on that."
Newcastle's season has been one of the most dramatic in recent Premier League history — a club that finished fourth last year and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in two decades now heading into the final weeks fighting to avoid the drop despite heavy summer investment.
Gordon's future will be one of the defining questions of Newcastle's summer regardless of which division they find themselves in. Howe's reluctance to close the door on a sale may be telling.