Anthony Gordon has praised Marcus Rashford’s influence in Spain and knows first-hand the criteria he must meet to succeed at Barcelona. The Newcastle winger is set to join the La Liga champions for a transfer fee of £69.3 million plus add-ons. Gordon, 25, will undergo a medical following a day of talks between the two clubs.
The England international played against Barça in the Champions League earlier this season, with Newcastle losing 2-1 at St James’ Park. The winger’s stoppage-time equalizer wasn’t enough to salvage a result, and the Spanish side grabbed all three points with Rashford’s nine-minute double in the second half. Gordon was no doubt dissatisfied with the result, but admitted Rashford’s decisive contribution was needed to win at elite level.
After the game in September, he told TNT Sport: “This is at the top level. Rashford came out of nowhere to score two goals. It’s the same for us, we have to take the chances we are given.”
Gordon was full of praise for Barça’s quality, describing the midfield partnership of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong as the best pairing he had ever come across in terms of dictating the rhythm of the game.
Speaking about his potential future colleagues, the England star added: “Pedri and De Jong were fantastic. They made it really difficult for us to do our usual pressing and they controlled the game. In that sense of the game, they were the best I’ve ever played against.”
“To be honest, we are not used to playing against players who can keep the ball like this. We played against top teams like City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal and it was very difficult for us to press because of their passing in midfield.”
The move to Spain is expected to double Gordon’s wages to around £300,000 a week, as Barca look to strengthen their squad following their second successive league title.
Nevertheless, his arrival brings uncertainty as to whether Rashford will eventually extend his contract with the Catalan giants.
He is now set to return to Manchester United after a season-long loan. Barça have an option to sign him permanently for £26 million, but are aiming to reduce the transfer fee through negotiations.
Rashford has been open about his desire to stay in Spain permanently, but has suggested that staying at Barça is by no means certain.
Following his success in the league, he said: “This is the perfect ending I want. I’m very happy. I just want to enjoy today. I’m living in the moment. We’ll see at the end of the season.”
“I’m very happy because we came here to win and we accomplished this. It’s an unbelievable feeling. We deserved it and were the best team all season. We had some bad times, but we always come back and fight to get better.”
