Anthony Gordon will undergo a medical check in preparation for joining Barcelona. (Image: Getty)
It’s not for nothing that he’s known as “Flash Gordon.” Because he can change a game in the blink of an eye, and he can disappear from a game just as quickly. That’s why Barcelona’s decision to spend a small fortune on Anthony Gordon has some people scratching their heads.
Gordon is set to complete a £70m move to the Spanish giants. Time will tell if it is the right thing for all parties. But at first glance, the agreement seems to make sense to all involved. German giants Bayern Munich rejected a fee in excess of £60 million and withdrew the possibility of an independent deal, while Barça have a deal in place to spread the transfer fee over five years.
It will ease the financial burden on the club, which still has debts of more than £2bn.
Newcastle, meanwhile, benefited by signing the player from Everton for £45m in 2023.
They also sent Gordon overseas rather than sell him to a British rival.
But most importantly, Newcastle have avoided a repeat of the turmoil that engulfed them 12 months ago over Alexander Isak.
Like Isaac, Gordon has made it clear he wants to move on from St James’ Park.
However, Newcastle’s leadership has learned a valuable lesson and has now sacked Gordon to avoid speculation that could damage the club’s reputation and preparations for next season.
Eddie Howe will now have time to reinvest his fee into a suitable successor for the winger.
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As for Gordon himself, he couldn’t turn down the chance to join one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Gordon is 25 years old and still far from his peak. He hopes that will happen during his time at the Camp Nou.
He will join the reigning Spanish champions and link up with some of the best players in the game, including Lamine Yamal.
Of course, Gordon has never lacked confidence, except when riding a pushbike (he stepped over the handlebars of a pushbike while on duty with England at Euro 2024).
And this move would be a great opportunity for him to take his game to the next level.
One of the highest levels is club football.
However, there are some things to keep in mind when wearing Catalan costumes.
Anthony Gordon left Barcelona with enough time to secure a replacement. (Image: Getty)
Because even if Gordon thought being a superstar on Tyneside was like living in a fishbowl, it’s nothing compared to life at Barcelona.
Expectations and media intrusion will be off-scale as well.
Failure on the pitch is not an option.
When things don’t go as planned, there’s nowhere to hide.
When things are good, they are really good.
But when the performance doesn’t meet expectations, the criticism is just cruel.
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In 2019, Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic were given zero points out of 10 by the Spanish press for their performance in Barcelona’s 4-0 Champions League semi-final defeat to Liverpool.
The infamous zero may seem trivial to some, but believe me, players take these things to heart.
Coutinho was loaned to Bayern a few months later.
Rakitic, on the other hand, played one more season before being sold to Sevilla.
Gordon would sink or swim off the coast of Spain.
But at least he can judge what will happen next.
