There’s a lot of football going on this summer. But there’s still a transfer window to consider, and Anthony Gordon has caught the eyes with a proposed move to Barcelona.
The Blaugrana have moved quickly to secure the services of the Newcastle United and England winger, ahead of Bayern Munich. Liverpool came very close to signing Gordon two years ago, but a return to Merseyside was not on the cards this summer.
There’s plenty to unpack in what feels like one of the more “out there” transfers of recent times.
In this article, we’ll cover:
How can Barcelona afford to sign Gordon?
According to reports, Barcelona have agreed a £69.3million deal with Newcastle to sign Gordon. The main question is, how can they afford this?
The Spanish champions have been very publicly wrestling with financial issues across several years, in spite of revenues nearing the £1bn mark. Mismanagement was rife, particularly between Neymar’s world-record exit in 2017 and Lionel Messi’s forced departure in 2021.
Barca had been placed under strict restrictions by La Liga, which affected their ability to both spend and then register players. So-called “levers” were pulled for compliance with future revenue streams sold off.
That will likely bite them in years to come. But, for now, the club have been allowed to return to the 1:1 framework. Every penny generated through player sales or wage reductions can be directly reinvested into signing new talent.
Robert Lewandowksi is off on a free transfer, taking huge wages with him, while there will be sales elsewhere.
Marquee signings are being lined up to take Hansi Flick’s side to the next level, with Gordon set to be the first of two or three.
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Rashford: first choice for England, second choice for Barca?
Another question is whether Marcus Rashford will be one of those signings. Gordon’s move is a potential hammer blow to his England teammate, who spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan in Catalonia.
It is fascinating on several levels. Gordon looks to have beaten Rashford to Barcelona, but the Manchester United loanee appears to be ahead in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup plans. One player’s future has been resolved prior to the tournament, while the other’s is more uncertian than ever.
Rashford has been frank abut his strong desire to stay at Barcelona. But it hasn’t been fully reciprocated, at least not from those above Flick.
The Englishman has been rejuvenated in Spain, looking near to his best levels even if he remains inconsistent and streaky at times. His 25 direct goal involvements (14 goals, 11 assists), from just 26 starts, speak to that.
Rashford scored a stunning free-kick to help Barcelona win the La Liga title in dream fashion by beating Real Madrid. It looked to have sealed his permanent stay. But that all may have changed now.
How do Gordon and Rashford compare?
Now, Gordon is obviously younger than Rashford, with four years between the pair. His wages are certain to be cheaper too, though indications are that Rashford is more than willing to take a major pay cut.
It may all come down to their work off the ball. Gordon is a pressing machine, which just can’t be said for his England counterpart. With how Flick plays, a relentless work ethic is favoured and, in that sense, the fit seems more obvious. If not, the outright talent.
It is a rather damning indictment of Rashford, particularly with the buy clause in his loan deal a paltry £26m. The expiry date is 15th June, two days before England kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia.
Barca may look to force Man Utd into another loan deal. But, right now, it looks like the first English player since Gary Lineker to play for Los Cules is being replaced by the next Three Lions import.
Is Gordon really at this level?
Lineker joined Barca in 1986 after top-scoring the World Cup that summer, as well as the old Division One in the season prior. He linked up with Mark Hughes, as manager Terry Venables brought two of Britain’s very best players together at Camp Nou.
While that pathway has been redirected mostly to Real Madrid, Barca have continued to shop in England, regularly buying the very best from the Premier League.
There have been some odd moves – Thomas Vermaelen comes to mind – but when big fees and wages have been involved, it has almost always been on standout talent.
Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit came in 2000 and were followed by Thierry Henry, Javier Mascherano, Cesc Fabregas and Luis Suarez. Phillipe Coutinho’s move was far less successful on and off the pitch but he was a brilliant player for Liverpool.
Premier League player moves to La Liga
| Player | Transfer (year) | Transfer fee |
| Phillipe Coutinho | Liverpool to Barcelona (2018) | £142m |
| Eden Hazard | Chelsea to Real Madrid (2019) | £130m |
| Gareth Bale | Tottenham to Real Madrid (2013) | £85m |
| Julian Alvarez | Man City to Atletico Madrid (2024) | £82m |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd to Real Madrid (2009) | £80m |
| Luis Suarez | Liverpool to Barcelona (2014) | £75m |
| Diego Costa | Chelsea to Atletico Madrid (2017) | £57m |
| Raphinha | Leeds to Barcelona (2022) | £55m |
| Ferran Torres | Man City to Barcelona (2022) | £46m |
| Conor Gallagher | Chelsea to Atletico Madrid (2024) | £35m |
There’s no doubt Gordon has something to offer – and like any forward, will do well in Flick’s system – but has he really done enough to earn this move?
He’s scored just 12 league goals in the past two campaigns, four of which came from the penalty spot. The 25-year-old also went over a full year without scoring from open play.
It’s been a different story in the Champions League, where the winger has come to life in line with his propensity to step up in the more high-profile games, scoring 10 in 12 games.
In saying that, six came against Qarabag and Union Saint-Gilloise and he was a non-factor in the heavy loss to his potential future employers.
Such returns will not be tolerated at Barca and with Julian Alvarez the club’s primary summer target, competition for places will be a completely different level than he has been used to.
There’s also the question of whether he settles in a new country and climate. But for now, it’s goodbye Anthony Gordon, and hola Antonio Gordon.
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