Anthony Gordon completed a sensational £70m move from Newcastle United to Barcelona before playing for England at the World Cup.
Anthony Gordon has joined Barcelona from Newcastle United. (Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Anthony Gordon has completed his move from Newcastle United to Barcelona in the first big move of the summer window. The England international has signed a five-year contract at the Camp Nou.
The deal will see Newcastle earn a total fee of £70m. Barcelona will pay Gordon’s fee in installments over the length of his contract.
The move was confirmed in statements released by both Barça and the Magpies. The England international arrived at the club’s headquarters a few hours early on Friday and was unveiled in front of Barcelona supporters wearing a navy suit and his signature with the Spanish giants, with whom he has signed an initial five-year contract until 2031.
After the deal was finalized, Gordon admitted he owed a huge debt to the St James’ Park club. He said: “I owe this club a lot because when I came here I was quite lost in life and in football.
“The club has given me a sense of belonging and identity. The club has allowed me to do what I always thought I could do. The club has put me on the biggest stage, putting on the shirt and performing.”
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot on the pitch since I came to this club, but this club has played a huge role in the person I’ve become over the last three-and-a-half years.
“It was really important for me to leave on a good note because I loved every moment of being part of Newcastle United. It’s a great club and one I’ll never forget. I’ll remain a fan for the rest of my life.”
Join us on Facebook! For the latest news, analysis and more on our Mirror Football Facebook page
The 25-year-old began speaking Spanish in his first interactions with local media, and the Newcastle star wowed them with his ability to speak the language. Mr Gordon said he was working with the Magpies’ physiotherapist to learn the language.
In a press conference, he said: “I wanted to speak Spanish because when I was a kid I believed that I would play for Barça. Newcastle had a physio and we spoke every day. I told him that I was going to play for Barça one day and that I wanted to learn Spanish.”
Gordon has been linked with an exit from St James’ Park in recent weeks, with Bayern Munich looking set to lead the race. However, the German club was not willing to participate in a bidding war, so Barcelona topped the deal by £10 million.
Anthony Gordon poses after being announced as a Barcelona player (Image: Photo by Josep LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)
The deal will see Newcastle receive a cut of any future sales. The same goes for Everton, who will earn 15% of the fee.
According to Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez, the announcement was initially delayed due to administrative issues. But there was no danger of the deal falling apart.
Newcastle are already looking for a replacement for Gordon. i Paper reports that the club have ticked off Lille’s Matias Fernandes, Victor Muñoz from Parsam Osasuna, Lyon’s Malick Fofana and Real Betis’ Eze Abdeh. The latter has a release clause of £51m.
Watch the UEFA Champions League Final on HBO Max
£4.99
HBO Max
Get HBO Max here
Arsenal have progressed to the UEFA Champions League final, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30th. Fans can watch the games without a TNT Sports subscription by signing up for the HBO Max Basic with Ads plan through the HBO Max channel on Prime Video.
