Anthony Gordon (now playing for FC Barcelona)

[Fak]

How the fuck has he managed to sign for Barcelona man hahahha 

[duo]

I think he'll do well - he's shown the ability he has.  It is sad to see him go as on his day he was class.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

It’s a bit surreal to see him unveiled at Barca like he’s a world superstar. Feels really odd for someone who has turned in so many average performances recently. 
 

As usual he spoke really well though, and the Spanish was class. 

[Gottlob]

Last season Isak started six of our last seven matches and scored three goals. We were pushing for the Champions League and made it by the skin of our teeth. We clearly expected to sell him in the summer. He wanted a move, we couldn't afford to give him a new contract and all the evidence suggests that we needed the money: we were just about to sell the stadium and adjacent land to ourselves in a one-time workaround as we faced record losses and the prospect of falling foul of PSR. We made a hash of the process of selling him and securing a replacement.

 

This season Gordon doesn't play in any of our last six games and we have a poor end to a poor season. But the club seems to have tacitly conceded defeat and when Gordon gets his big move he is hailed for acting appropriately.

 

That doesn't jibe with me but while I've never been fond of Gordon he seems nice enough away from the pitch and I think there's a good chance he succeeds at Barcelona. He has shown that when focused and committed he can press from the front, stretch the opposition and get on the end of chances in the penalty area. That should prove complementary at Barcelona, who are hardly lacking for dribblers or flair players, while in the tougher games he offers an outlet on the counter.

His attributes made him the ideal winger for Howe and his 4-3-3. We are worse off without him but his early sale at least suggests some lesson learned and that we might be proactive in the market this summer. We might only need one new winger especially if we commit to a changed setup.

[TaylorJ_01]

I'm surprised how big a fanfare there has been. Makes no sense tbh

[Rosenrot]

I’d rather have Rashford than Gordon

[Ronaldo]

12 minutes ago, Gottlob said:

Last season Isak started six of our last seven matches and scored three goals. We were pushing for the Champions League and made it by the skin of our teeth. We clearly expected to sell him in the summer. He wanted a move, we couldn't afford to give him a new contract and all the evidence suggests that we needed the money: we were just about to sell the stadium and adjacent land to ourselves in a one-time workaround as we faced record losses and the prospect of falling foul of PSR.

Ey?

[LionOfGosforth]

6 minutes ago, Gottlob said:

Last season Isak started six of our last seven matches and scored three goals. We were pushing for the Champions League and made it by the skin of our teeth. We clearly expected to sell him in the summer. He wanted a move, we couldn't afford to give him a new contract and all the evidence suggests that we needed the money: we were just about to sell the stadium and adjacent land to ourselves in a one-time workaround as we faced record losses and the prospect of falling foul of PSR. We made a hash of the process of selling him and securing a replacement.

 

This season Gordon doesn't play in any of our last six games and we have a poor end to a poor season. But the club seems to have tacitly conceded defeat and when Gordon gets his big move he is hailed for acting appropriately.

 

That doesn't jibe with me but while I've never been fond of Gordon he seems nice enough away from the pitch and I think there's a good chance he succeeds at Barcelona. He has shown that when focused and committed he can press from the front, stretch the opposition and get on the end of chances in the penalty area. That should prove complementary at Barcelona, who are hardly lacking for dribblers or flair players, while in the tougher games he offers an outlet on the counter.

His attributes made him the ideal winger for Howe and his 4-3-3. We are worse off without him but his early sale at least suggests some lesson learned and that we might be proactive in the market this summer. We might only need one new winger especially if we commit to a changed setup.

 

The bolded is sort of how I feel about him. From apparently being a bit of a tit over playing on the right, to getting himself sent off at a couple of key times and then basically sacking off the last couple of months of the season just finished when we could have used a lot more in the attacking sense, i'm not really feeling this send-off too much. 

 

That said, by all accounts, he was sound as off the field and did some lovely things in his early days here, he was pretty damn good in 23/24, got himself a great move and we got an appropriate fee. The only thing that really matters now is the money is spent in the right way.

[Weezertron]

The media keep telling us that we need to player trade to achieve success due to PSR, and then in the next sentence tell us we'll get no where by selling out top players. 

 

If we use these funds to create a young and exciting team that plays the right way. I'll be buzzing. 

 

 

Edited Friday at 22:38 by Weezertron

[Rich]

This has to be a Disco thread title.

[Amir_9]

People underestimate how much him moving abroad and not to a PL rival softens the blow of him leaving

 

Fair to say don't think many of us here have a soft spot for Liverpool Football Club or them hijacking Ekitike and still getting Isak

 

Factor this with Barcelona paying a very decent fee for this and it explains the mostly positive reaction to him leaving

[Alreetworked]

Why's he getting a mega signing media tour lol

[Fak]

1 minute ago, Alreetworked said:

Why's he getting a mega signing media tour lol

 

Mackem wanksplat

[Weezertron]

1 minute ago, Fak said:

 

Mackem wanksplat

Sounds like a U-Bahn station.

[Cf]

Be interested to see how he does. I think he's technically limited but perhaps will have more room to breathe in la liga. 

 

I wonder if general we might be entering an era where the PL is so physical and well drilled that we see players struggle but flourish outside of it. 

[Alreetworked]

10 minutes ago, Fak said:

 

Mackem wanksplat

Mental how one bloke says something and it becomes fact lol

[samptime29]

I'm happy with the deal. Got it done early. Fair enough price for both parties. Vital we get our incoming business done correctly. We really need a few big hits.

[samptime29]

18 minutes ago, Amir_9 said:

People underestimate how much him moving abroad and not to a PL rival softens the blow of him leaving

 

Fair to say don't think many of us here have a soft spot for Liverpool Football Club or them hijacking Ekitike and still getting Isak

 

Factor this with Barcelona paying a very decent fee for this and it explains the mostly positive reaction to him leaving

 

Exactly this. We get a fair price and it's a huge club like Barca you can't be too unhappy. Liverpool would have enraged me lol.

[NEEJ]

1 hour ago, RobsonsWonderland said:

Actually a sense of pride that a player has went on to Barcelona and not a smaller club like Liverpool.

 

 

It'll be an honour to see him play for Barcelona. 

[The Bonk]

On 28/05/2026 at 15:33, PauloGeordio said:

 

I agree with Dellboy, best of luck to him.

[Ilovetoon8788]

Really a perfect transfer for all parties. Excellent fee and he gets his desired move. He was abysmal last season but was instrumental in us winning a trophy. 

 

Fantastic fee for us. Best of luck to him. 

Rebuild begins. 

[Dyeyzzon]

Just happy this was amicably done and he didn't have to kick up a fuss like some other people. I wish him well. Will also fondly look back on his two goals in the semifinal which helped us clear probably our biggest hurdle en route to the cup.

[Guillaume]

Genuinely don't know how he's got to be a Barca player, I wish him well.

 

Still don't think he can finish and they fans will soon be in his back.

[The Bonk]

Quote

Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona transfer: The inside story of a remarkably rapid €80million move

Anthony Gordon was always going to leave Newcastle United this summer.

That had long been the perception behind the scenes and, once Newcastle’s Champions League exit was sealed at the Camp Nou in March, any public pretence to the contrary evaporated.

Some inside St James’ Park — speaking anonymously like several other sources consulted for this article so they could speak freely — had even come to the conclusion that he had to leave, for the benefit of both parties.

But the pace of his exit, the rapid nature at which negotiations were concluded this week and his eventual destination were unexpected.

The Athletic tells the inside story of how the deal was done.

 

Spoiler

Anthony Gordon was always going to leave Newcastle United this summer.

That had long been the perception behind the scenes and, once Newcastle’s Champions League exit was sealed at the Camp Nou in March, any public pretence to the contrary evaporated.

Some inside St James’ Park — speaking anonymously, like several other sources consulted for this article, so they could speak freely — had even concluded that he had to leave, for the benefit of both parties.

But the pace of his exit, the rapid nature at which negotiations were concluded this week and his eventual destination were unexpected.

Until Wednesday morning, the impression was that Bayern Munich were still the strong favourites to sign Gordon, having registered their interest last month and then begun club-to-club discussions in early May.

Yet, despite multiple rounds of negotiations, Bayern did not materially advance on a deal — the Bundesliga champions had a valuation from which they simply would not deviate, and it fell short of Newcastle’s asking price. Barcelona swooped to seal a surprisingly swift transfer.

While Newcastle hoped for a quick sale, and had preached quiet confidence that they would receive a suitable figure, Barcelona’s willingness to agree to a deal worth €80million (£69.4m; $93.1m), including largely achievable add-ons, less than a week after the Premier League campaign had ended was unanticipated externally. A sell-on clause was also included, while Newcastle and Barcelona will explore potential lucrative friendly opportunities in future summers. Gordon leaves Newcastle on good terms, with all parties recognising that the transfer was mutually beneficial for all.

The Athletic reported last month that Chelsea were interested in Gordon, while Liverpool also kept a watching brief, having come close to signing the winger in June 2024. The Merseysiders insist Gordon was never a player they intended to pursue this summer, given Newcastle’s clear preference to sell him abroad and Gordon’s desire to move to Europe.

Barcelona, however, were inclined to commit such a substantial outlay, almost three weeks before the transfer window officially opens. This was for three key reasons: the expectation they will have more room to manoeuvre within La Liga’s salary limit this year than next; a fear that Gordon’s value may rise if he excels at this summer’s World Cup; and their desire not to be thwarted by the other elite European clubs who had registered an interest.

CATCH UP ON THE STORY

Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona transfer: Why are Newcastle selling? Where will he fit? What does it mean for Rashford and Man Utd?

Analysing Anthony Gordon's impending move to Barcelona - what it means for the player, his new club, Newcastle, Marcus Rashford and Man Utd

Gordon is described by a source as a “special request” for Hansi Flick, with the manager taken by the attacker’s breathless display against Barcelona on Tyneside in September.

Gordon got a consolation goal for Newcastle in their 2-1 Champions League defeat by Barca in SeptemberOli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

Gordon’s arrival in Catalonia on a five-year deal negatively affects the prospect of England team-mate Marcus Rashford’s season-long loan at Barca being made permanent. Barcelona retain a €30million option to sign him from Manchester United until mid-June, though the chances of doing so have receded significantly.

For Newcastle, replacing Gordon is a priority and, while the club are hopeful of making an addition before the World Cup begins on June 11, bringing in a suitable successor will be challenging. Gordon has distinct attributes — adaptability, raw pace and pressing capacity — and Newcastle are weighing up the profile they will target, with a first-XI-ready addition important. Multiple wingers, the majority based on the continent, have been tracked.

For Newcastle, the swift sale of Gordon is the second part of their summer plan, following the uplifting news that Lewis Miley, the 20-year-old academy graduate, agreed a six-year contract extension on Monday.

The hierarchy are determined to avoid the mistakes of last summer, when the Alexander Isak saga dragged on and, although Newcastle eventually extracted a British-record transfer fee of £125million from Liverpool, they torpedoed their own window in the process.

Ross Wilson, the sporting director, and David Hopkinson, the CEO, are working in tandem — a contrast to last year, when there was no executive team — and are keen to “normalise” the sale of assets, believing they can do so in a better and smarter way, on their own terms, as part of a trading model. Offloading Gordon for such a price, and critically at such a juncture, gives Newcastle greater scope to invest during what will be a significant summer rebuild as they look to comply with UEFA’s strict financial rules moving forwards.

Gordon continued to act professionally throughout — it was Howe’s decision to plan for the “future” and leave the winger out of Newcastle’s final four matches, with the player willing to be involved — but his desire to explore a move was known for months. The winger’s preference was to head abroad and he talked on the training ground about his keenness to play for Bayern.

Eddie Howe and Anthony Gordon pictured on March 4 after victory over Manchester UnitedStu Forster/Getty Images

The German club’s interest was genuine, even if Gordon was one of several winger targets alongside RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and FC Koln’s Said El Mala. Bayern viewed Gordon as a versatile attacker who could operate across the front line, potentially becoming a long-term replacement for the injured Serge Gnabry, and they liked his mentality and emotional resilience.

Newcastle held meetings with Bayern, including in London, and there was a wide expectation internally that Gordon would end up in Bavaria. But Bayern would not budge on their offers. That drew begrudging admiration from senior figures at Newcastle, who respected that they had a valuation and simply refused to move from it.

A similar scenario unfolded last summer between Bayern and Stuttgart over Nick Woltemade, who eventually joined Newcastle for £64million. Bayern and Newcastle enjoy a positive relationship at executive level and discussions were amicable, despite several key figures at the German club having publicly criticised the Tynesiders for parting with such a fee for Woltemade.

Bayern’s nonacceptance of Newcastle’s terms allowed Barcelona to proceed.

The first reported meeting between Newcastle and Barcelona came on May 4, though the initial suggestion was that the La Liga champions would not have the economic capacity to conclude the signing.

However, a senior Barcelona source insisted a deal was possible, that the club had liked Gordon “for a while” and explained that, economically, a €60million-€70million outlay on the Newcastle winger would actually have a similar financial impact as spending €30m on a 28-year-old Rashford. Given Gordon is younger, he would be given a longer contract, meaning the fee would be amortised over more years, making it more manageable, and he has far greater sell-on value.

While Gordon’s wages have also increased substantially following the move — he was among Newcastle’s highest earners, having signed an extension in October 2024 — sources at Barcelona insist his salary is significantly less than the up to £300,000 a week Rashford’s Manchester United contract is now worth following the club’s return to the Champions League.

Club-to-club talks intensified earlier this week, with a bid lodged on Wednesday and then quickly accepted by Newcastle. Gordon flew to Catalonia for a medical on Thursday. The transfer was officially confirmed on Friday evening — albeit later than Barcelona originally hoped.

Bureaucratic minutiae was the explanation given by Barcelona for the delay, meaning an unveiling that was scheduled for 1pm local time was pushed back by several hours. Gordon signed a contract through to 2031 alongside Joan Laporta, Barcelona’s president, and was photographed inside Camp Nou before talking to the media.

While Barcelona did not want Gordon to have to go through a press conference, given that he joins up with England’s World Cup squad on Monday, and initially intended to unveil him at the Camp Nou later this summer, the player himself requested a media briefing. He spoke of his pride and excitement to be moving to Camp Nou, and regularly broke into Spanish, impressing his audience.

“I wanted to learn to speak Spanish because, as a kid, I believed I would play for Barca, believe it or not,” he said. “I was excited to play for them since I was three.

“To play with Lamine (Yamal) and the rest of the players is very exciting for me. The more players with quality around you, the better you’re going to be. These players are at the very top level for a reason. They’re the best players in the world.”

Anthony Gordon speaks to the media, often in Spanish, after signing for BarcelonaJosep Lago/AFP via Getty Images

Barcelona’s admiration for Gordon stems from his outrageous pressing statistics. Howe reverted to playing Gordon as a No 9 in the winter — despite spending a combined £119million on strikers in Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last summer — partly to stimulate Gordon, who had reserved his best left-wing performances across 2025-26 for the Champions League, but primarily because he can relentlessly lead the press.

Flick’s style, like Howe’s, requires attackers to be extremely active and press. Although Lamine Yamal is a generational talent, off-the-ball work is not his strongest attribute and Barcelona do not believe their front line can carry two players who do not repeatedly press, having laboured at points when Raphinha was injured this past season. Gordon was deemed a better fit than Rashford.

At St James’ Park in September, when Gordon scored a late consolation in a 2-1 defeat, and for 45 minutes in Catalonia in March, before Newcastle’s embarrassing second-half collapse to a 7-2 defeat, Barcelona witnessed the forward’s devastating pace and indefatigable work ethic first hand. Gordon and Newcastle swarmed Barcelona for the first 20 minutes on Tyneside, causing genuine moments of panic across their back line.

Gordon’s versatility was also attractive, while Flick is said to have been impressed by the attacker’s movements from wide and central areas. Theoretically, he can be deployed on both flanks — it will be interesting to see if Gordon will acquiesce to playing on the right if required at Barca, given Howe admitted in a press conference in January that he did not enjoy being fielded there — while the player has suggested he actually prefers featuring as a centre-forward.

Anthony Gordon has signed a deal through to 2031Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images

Whether Gordon is overpriced or underpriced in the present market is a source of great debate among Newcastle fans.

On first viewing, the raw numbers — 17 goals in all competitions across 2025-26, including 10 in the Champions League and nine impressively dispatched penalties, plus five assists — and his status as a potential England World Cup starter, suggest the fee may be modest for a 25-year-old heading into his prime.

But those who watch Newcastle regularly will tell you that, although he excelled in Europe this season, Gordon often underwhelmed domestically. Across his last 33 Premier League starts since mid-January 2025, Gordon scored only three non-penalty goals.

Gordon pictured before kick-off in the Champions League last-16 second leg between Newcastle and Barcelona on March 18Eric Alonso/Getty Images

Barcelona and Bayern’s keenness to acquire him underlines both the paucity of the top-level winger market, as well as his own unique characteristics.

Newcastle’s recruitment team — championed by Andy Howe, the senior football executive who Eddie Howe, his uncle, publicly credited for the deal in March 2024 — identified Gordon’s high ceiling and the coaching staff have aided his development. A £40million plus £5m deal seemed expensive in January 2023, but Newcastle will make a substantial profit (even if 15 per cent of that is due to Everton, his former club) and this transfer suits them, too.

Gordon has been inconsistent in the Premier League since a move to his boyhood club Liverpool collapsed in June 2024, when Newcastle were scrambling to comply with PSR (profit and sustainability rules) regulations. But in the Champions League, he raised his levels: he bagged four goals at Qarabag, while he destroyed Benfica on Tyneside, scoring one and assisting another, leading Jose Mourinho to seek him out afterwards and declare he was “too much” to handle.

Those who have worked with the winger at Newcastle are confident Barcelona will see the version of Gordon who shone across 2023-24, when he scored 11 Premier League goals and assisted 10 as player of the season. After that near-exit to Anfield, refocusing Gordon, who is fiercely single-minded, became a challenge.

It became a matter of when, not if, he would depart.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7317967/2026/05/29/anthony-gordon-barcelona-newcastle-transfer-bayern-liverpool/?source=athletic_user_shared_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
 

Not sure if posted. 

[The College Dropout]

2 hours ago, Fak said:

How the fuck has he managed to sign for Barcelona man hahahha 

It’s a bit unbelievable right? It’s sad but I’m a little proud of him.  When we signed him I would never have thought we would sell him to Barcelona.